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STATE OF IOWA 

1916 



REPORT OF THE 



STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION 



ON THE 



Iowa Lakes and Lake Beds 



J. W. HOLDEN, Chairman 
A. MARSTON, 
H. C. BEARD, 

State Highway Commission 



Published By 
THE STATE OF IOWA 
Des Moines 



,1> 



Ames, Iowa, December 30, 1916. 
Hon. George W. Clarke, Governor: 

Pursuant to the provisions of Title XIV, Chapter 2-B, Supple- 
mental Supplement, 1915, the State Highway Commission pre- 
sents this report on the meandered lakes and the lake beds of the 
state. Special phases of the general subject have been studied by 
expert investigators and their conclusions are embodied herein 
under the following titles : 

Report of Crop Surveys in the vicinity of various lakes to ascertain 
damages resulting from black birds. Prepared by Agricultural Experi- 
ment Station under direction of Prof. H. D. Hughes. 

Report on the Vegetation of Iowa Lakes. Prepared by Department 
of Botany under direction of Prof. L. H. Pammel. 

Report on Possibilities of Improving Iowa's lake shores by Foresta- 
tion. Prepared by Prof. G. B. MacDonald, Department of Forestry, 
Iowa State College. 

Topographic maps of seventy lakes, prepared by the Commission, 
accompany and are made a part of this report. 

J. W. Holden, Chairman. 
H. C. Beard. 
A. Marston. 
State Highway Commission. 



D. of D. 
SEP 29 1917 



ROBERT HENDERSON, STATE PRINTER 
J. M. JAMIESON. STATE BTNDER 
ISSUED MARCH, 1917 



N. 






PART ONE 



REPORT OF 



STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION 



L 



CHAPTER ONE — COMMISSIONERS* SUMMARY 



TITLE XIV, CHAPTER 2-B, SUPPLEMENTAL SUPPLEMENT, 1915, 
DIRECTS THE STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION TO MAKE AN EX- 
AMINATION OF, AND A REPORT ON THE LAKES AND LAKEBEDS 
OF IOWA WHICH, UNDER AUTHORITY OF THE EXECUTIVE 
COUNCIL HAVE NOT BEEN DRAINED, OR IN THE DRAINAGE OF 
WHICH FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS HAS NOT BEEN, IN GOOD 
FAITH, EXPENDED. 

It further directs that the report shall divide these lakes into three 
classes, as follows: 

1. Lakes that should be preserved, with an estimate of the cost of improvement. 

2. Lakes that should be drained, the state retaining title to the land, togethei 
with reasons for drainage and an estimate of the cost, and of their value. 

3. Lakes that should be drained and the land sold, with reasons for drainage and 
for sale, together with an estimate of the cost of drainage and of the value of the 
land when reclaimed. 

The law authorizes the Highway Commission to use any employees 
of the engineering departments of the State College or of the State 
University of Iowa in making the required surveys and investigations 
and in the preparation of the report. Students of the above named 
institutions are to be allowed to assist in the work, without compensa- 
tion. 

Extent of Investigation Required. 

The specific information which the Commission was directed to ob- 
tain for every one of Iowa's lakes has required two years of extensive 
field engineering, which has included the topographical survey of ap- 
proximately 90,000 acres; the gathering of soil samples and taking 
of soundings; the inspection and classification of seventy lakes; the 
holding of numerous conferences with property owners, citizens and 
county officials; the preparation of seventy separate topographical maps; 
the imaking of estimates of cost for the proposed improvements and 
studies of special problems such as dredging, reforestation of lake 
shores, and farm crops in the vicinity of the lakes. 

To gather this information within the time limit has tested every 
resource of the Commission. It has been necessary, at the cost of 
efficiency, to carry on the field engineering regardless of weather con- 
ditions. 

The policy of the Commission has been to make all of the field work 
of permanent utility. Permanent bench marks and monuments have been 
established at each lake. Each map is so complete in detail that it 
may be used as the foundation plan for future action — and some action 
must be immediate if Iowa's lakes are to be conserved to her own uses. 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



For the most part they are surrounded by privately owned prop- 
erty and are inaccessible to the public except as trespassers. Volunteer 
efforts alone this year prevented Eagle Lake from breaking down the 
narrow earth dam between its waters and a nearby drainage ditch. 
Daily, sand gravel and boulders necessary for the protection of the lake 
shores are being taken away for private use. At Storm Lake this des- 
poliation has been extensive. The community is endeavoring now to 




hranS of t^ n ™r C ° u . nt y- This photograph shows the source of the east 
«££»,? v, ■ ?if s Momes Rlver - The outlet here « cutting rapidly. Two dams 
Placed, here m the past to protect the lake have been blown out by partie inter 

the itlte t^ferf 6 "^ °i the lake - A P ermane »t dam should 7 b P e erected by 
trie state to prevent any further cutting. 

restore along part of the shore the protection that nature once pro- 
vided. 

Iowa's lakes are, in general, rapidly losing their natural charms. 
They are becoming less attractive and less useful. Iowa's lake prob- 
lem is acute. Iowa realized the value of her school lands after they 
were gone. Iowa should recognize the value of her lakes before it 
is too late. 

Co-operation of State Departments. 

This report has been made possible largely through the co-operation 
of a number of state departments because of the great interest held 
by these departments in the conservation of Iowa's lakes. 

The State Fish and Game Department, under Warden E. C. Hinshaw, 
has maintained one field party on the surveys, under the direction of 
Mr. L. A. Wilson,- who formerly made the lake surveys authorized by 
the Executive Council. This party has made surveys of eighteen lakes, 
taking a total of 12,061 acres of topography. 

The Iowa State College through its Division of Engineering as- 
signed Professors H. C. Ford, M. F. P. Costelloe and F. A. Dragoun 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 9 

with a party of engineering students to make lake surveys during the 
summer vacation of 1915. This party surveyed seven lakes. Dur- 
ing the summer vacation of 1916, a similar party of students in charge 
of Professors H. C. Ford and P. F. Hopkins made the surveys for 
three lakes. The surveys for these ten lakes required the taking 
of the topography of 13,175 acres. 

The Agricultural Experiment Station detailed Clyde McKee, F. S. 
Wi-lkins, D. H. Zentmire, W. R. Hechler and J. A. Krall, who, under the 
direction of Professor H. D. Hughes, have made a thorough investiga- 
tion of the damage done to farm crops by black birds in the neighbor- 
hoods of four typical marshy lakes. 

Professor H. A. Scullen of the Department of Zoology has contributed 
an article on the food and nesting habits of black birds. 

The Department of Botany assigned Instructors J. L. Seal and L. \Y. 
Durrell to the lake examination. These studies were made under the di- 
rection of Professor L. H. Pammel, who has prepared the report on 
lake vegetation. 

The Department of Forestry, under the direction of Professor G. B. 
MacDonald has studied forestry conditions around the lakes. A thor- 
oughly practical discussion of lake improvement through tree plant- 
ing, together with estimates of the cost of the work as applied to cer- 
tain representative cases, is included. 

All of the above employees of the State and of the departments of 
the Iowa State College have served on this work without extra pay, 
their actual expenses in the field being audited from the general fund, 
as provided by law. 

As authorized under the statute, the Commission requested the State 
University in May, 1915, to assign such employees as. the University 
considered could be employed on the lake surveys without detriment 
to the work of the institution. At that time, no such employees were 
available. In July, 1916, the Commission was advised that an en- 
gineer would be available to survey the two lakes in Johnson county, 
but as this information was received after one of the field parties of the 
Commission had been sent to this work, it was not considered ad- 
visable to equip a new party to survey this small acreage. 

Work of the Highway Commission. 

The Highway Commission has, through its Department oif Drainage, co- 
ordinated the work of the other departments, made surveys of twenty- 
four lakes, including 63,926 acres of topography, prepared maps of all the 
lakes, estimated the cost of drainage or of improvement, as the case de- 
manded and compiled this report. During the summer of 1916, as fast as 
the maps and other engineering data were available, the Commissioners 
personally inspected each one of the lakes; conferred with property 
owners, citizens and public officials; investigated the special problems in 
connection with each lake and on the basis of all the information avail- 
able, classified the lakes into the three classes provided in the statute. 



10 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

Present Status of Lakes 

In the report of the Land Department for 1899, Mr. G. L. Dobson, then 
Secretary of State, reported that the original plats of the U. S. Land 
Survey showed one hundred and nine meandered lakes with a total area 
of about 61,000 acres, belonging to the state. This lake report did not 
include a few meandered ponds and lagoons along the Mississippi and 
Missouri Rivers. 

Some of these tracts have been re-classified as swamp land upder the 
federal act of 1850 by the Department of the Interior, patented as such 
to the state, and by the state, to the county in which they are situated. 

A few oif the lakes have been sold by the county. Such sales were 
recognized by the state and provision made for issuing patents under 
Section 2900-A25 Supplement to the Code, 1907. This provision was later 
repealed. 

Section 2900-A1, Supplement to the Code, 1913, authorized the sale of 
abandoned river channels and prescribed the method of procedures. This 
law affected only a few of the lakes along the boundary rivers. 

Section 2900-A19, Supplement to tlhe Code, 1913, authorized the Execu- 
tive Council to survey the lakes of the state and to determine which 
should be maintained, and which drained, demised, or sold. Under this 
authority the Executive Council caused surveys of certain lakes to be 
made, part of which have been ordered maintained, and part of which 
have been drained and sold. There still remains a considerable acreage 
of these drained lake beds which has not been sold. 

Under these various acts, the number oif meandered areas belonging 
to the state has been reduced to the seventy separate lakes and lake beds 
which have been included in this report by the Commission. 

General Findings of the Commission. 

The Commission has endeavored to get a general view of the questions 
involved. The situation has been studied from many different angles. 
The relation which the lakes bear to the sanitation and to the reclama- 
tion of adjoining lands, and to crops in their vicinity have been examined. 
The value of the lakes as places of recreation and their probable value as 
farm land have been compared. 

Private interests as well as those of the commonwealth have been duly 
considered in all cases where the two appear to conflict. The future 
development of the state, in so far as it can be foreseen, has influenced 
the conclusions reached in no small degree. 

The Commission is strongly impressed with the growing importance of 
the lakes and tbe necessity for their preservation and improvement. The 
lakes are Iowa's birthright. Their ownership came to her when she be- 
came a sovereign state. Iowa holds her lakes as a trust for the public. 
The responsibility for the preservation and improvement of the lakes is 
hers, whether she will it or not. Except for a few isolated cases in which 
peculiar conditions govern, this investigation has led the Highway Com- 
mission to believe and to recommend that the state of Iowa should re- 
tain her lakes. Further the Commission is of the opinion that the state 
should adopt an intelligent policy of betterment. 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 11 

In last's where drainage is advised, it is recommended that the state 
retain title to the land until such time as its reclamation is complete, 
its value as agricultural land fully established, and its sale value the same 
as the surrounding land. Where the lake bed is well located, and of suf- 
ficient size, it is recommended that the state retain the property for 
state purposes. A description of each lake with the Commissioner's 
recommendations and an estimate of the cost of carrying out these recom- 
mendations is included in this report. 
Improvements Recommended. 

Improvements recommended by the Commission are classified under 
the following heads: Regulating works, parks, roads, tree planting, water 
supply and deepening. 

At many of the lakes it has been found that the outlets are cutting 
badly under the action of floods. In a few cases this natural action has 
been encouraged and expedited by selfish agencies. In all these instances 




Fig. 2— North Twin Lake, Calhoun County. The illustration shows the best portion 
of the shore on this lake. This locality is now vised as a private summer resort. 
By widening the belt of trees and extending the planting around the lake, a fine 
recreation ground could be provided. This is the north one of the pair of lakes, 
which the people of the county always refer to as Twin Lakes. 

the construction of concrete dams at the outlets is urged as the first step 
to be taken for the preservation of the lakes. 

An annoying and unnecessary condition exists at nearly all of the lakes. 
The lakes are public property, but except for the few places where high- 
ways touch the shores, they are surrounded by private land. The ordin- 
ary citizen, desiring to avail himself of the opportunities the lake offers 
for enjoyment, finds himself obliged to ask permission to use some 
stranger's land or to go upon it as a trespasser. Recreation grounds 
have been established at some of the lakes by owners of adjoining lands 
and the public may use these grounds as long as their expenditures make 



12 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

the maintenance of such grounds profitable. That is, the public pays a 
tax for the right to enjoy its own property. The eagerness with which 
large numbers use these privately owned recreation grounds indicates the 
extensive use that would be made of public parks along the lake shores. 
The Commission recommends as a general policy, the purchase of suit- 
able acreage along the lake shores and the opening of roads to connect 
with established highways. Where suitable natural groves are not to be 
found and where the natural timber has been cut off, the Commission 
recommends that areas be planted with trees. The cost and methods for 
these improvements are discussed fully in this report. 

In a few instances at the largest lakes, the question of the advisability 
of building parkways around the shores has been considered. It is 
thought, however, that local people will make even more use of these 
driveways than will the state. 

A co-operative arrangement between the City of Emmetsburg and the 
State has already demonstrated the value of this principal in improving 
and making publicly useful the lakes. The Commission recommends, 
therefor, the extension of this principle of co-operation to cities, counties 
or other municipalities in the making and paying for public parks, for 
opening and improving roads and for planting groves. 

The water supply at many of the lakes is far from satisfactory, and 
the water levels fluctuate more than could be wished. In some localities 
the supply may be increased at a reasonable expense, by diverting the 
drainage of outlying tracts of land. In the reports on Rush Lake in 
Osceola County, and on Clear Lake in Cerro Gordo County, attention is 
called to such supplies, and it is urged that steps be taken by the proper 
authorities to secure such additional supplies. 

Costs of Lake Improvement. 

Heretofore, the state has not profited, as a state, from the sale of the 
lake beds which have been drained. The law provided that after the 
attendant expenses of surveying, drainage and Incidental expenditures 
have been paid, the balance accruing should be paid into the county road 
funds of the particular county in which the lake was located. The Com- 
mission believes that any funds of this character should go for the im- 
provement of the lakes which are retained. 

Also, the law has heretofore made no provision for the complete drain- 
age of these lake beds, and the sale prices have, as a general rule, been 
low. 

The Commission has estimated that the beds of Birge and Grass Lakes 
in Ernmet County, Swan Lake in Johnson County, and Tow Head Lake 
in Calhoun County, when properly drained and subdued for agricultural 
purposes, should be sold for approximately $60,000. The estimated cost 
of draining these lakesi, and in addition, Goose Lake in Greene County, 
is approximately $55,100.00. That is, the sale of the lake beds which the 
Commission is recommending to be sold, should more than equal the cost 
of the thorough drainage of these lake beds, as well as the reclamation 
of Goose Lake. The Commission has recommended the retention of the 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 



13 



bed of Goose Lake for state purposes, which, when thoroughly drained 
and subdued will he a valuable farm of approximately 411 acres. 

The estimated cost of necessary dams and regulating works is ap- 
proximately $72,000. In this amount is included an estimate of $15,000 
for a lock between Spirit Lake and East Okoboji. 

The building of the outlet dams which is the most immediate im- 
provement necessary at the lakes, excluding the estimated cost of the 
lock, would total approximately $57,000. 

The purchasing of parks and the building of connecting roadways, the 
Commission estimates, would cost approximately $183,000. In meeting this 
expense, the state will receive assistance from both private and public 
sources. Approximately $2,000 would be necessary to cover the cost of 
land which will be covered by the raising of the lake elevations. In some 
communities there is a strong demand 'for an increased depth of water 
in the lakes over that recommended by the Commission. It is quite pos- 




Fig. 3— Cass Lake, Minnesota. The timbered shore line of this lake is controlled 
by the United States Forestry service. Hundreds of campers from Iowa as well 
as from Minnesota take advantage of the free camp sites offered here. Special 
permits are issued for the erection of summer cottages at an annual fee of $5.00. 
The proceeds of these fees are used to pay the expense of foresters and care- 
takers for the lake. 

sible that such communities would acquire without cost to the state, title 
to ail of the land thus submerged. 

The bank protection and miscellaneous expenditures are estimated by 
fhe Commission at approximately $16,500. In such work, some of the 
local communities are already active and this sum does not represent the 
outlay that will be necessary to protect all of the banks on which such 
protection will be necessary. 

Dredging is the most expensive improvement that can be made at any 
of the lakes, and yet, at the rate at which some of the lakes are filling, 
it will be necessary to carry on more or less extensive dredging as the 
years pass, in order to hold the lakes at a sufficient depth. The cost of 
dredging is discussed in the reports on the individual lakes. 



14 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

The Commission is of the opinion that the less costly improvements 
should be carried out promptly, regardless; of whether any extensive 
dredging is undertaken. In this manner the elevation of the lakes will 
be preserved, the parks and roadways will be rendering service, and the 
planting that is done will be developing and adding to the beauty as 
well as the utility of the lakes. 

Dredging might well be carried on comparatively slowly, using only 
two or three dredging plants, and restricting the work to a reasonable 
annual expenditure on a limited number of lakes at first, especially those 
where local co-operation can be secured. 

The rate at which, such improvements can be carried on will depend 
partly upon the revenues which the General Assembly provides for the 
purpose and partly upon the co-operation extended by the various inter- 
ested communities. The development of public parks is so firmly estab- 
lished as a policy in the larger cities and towns, that the Commission 
foresees the adoption of this principle in the townships, the counties and 
smaller municipalities. It is entirely practicable to make, near some of 
these lakes, community centers, which, with the development of agricul- 
tural Iowa, will become increasingly popular and profitable. 

The State Game Warden, Mr. E. C. Hinshaw, has suggested a com- 
bination hunting and fishing license which he estimates will return suf- 
ficient revenues to properly develop the lake properties' and keep them 
well stocked with fish 

The Commission does not feel qualified to discuss the propriety of 
such a license, but is of the opinion that should such a license be estab- 
lished, it will result in more rapid development of the lake properties 
than is likely to be possible without such revenues. 

The surprising increase in the use of motor cars in the state, leads to 
the conviction that a large proportion of the population will soon be able 
to take advantage of the lakes much more frequently than has been true 
in the past. Iowa has occupied a backward position with reference to 
public parks of any character. Both the neighboring state of Wiscon- 
son and Minnesota have state parks which are visited annually by thou- 
sands of people. The Itasca State Park in Minnesota, and the joint park 
along the Dells of the St. Croix River between Wisconsin and Minnesota 
are indicative of the spirit actuating Iowa's sister states. 

The Commission submits that a program of lake improvement, even 
though calling for no greater expenditure than $25,000 to $50,000 per year, 
when used to encourage and to co-operate with local communities and 
municipalities will render large returns to the people of the state in the 
years to come. 

Administration. 

The management of the lakes in the future is an important considera- 
tion. It should be recognized that primarily this is a business proposi- 
tion and should be handled as such. The property is large and scattered. 
Varied interests, both public and private are involved. As has been inc 
dicated, the cost of lake improvement to the state will be greatly de- 
creased as the local communities become interested to the point of shar- 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION L5 

ing in the financial burden. The Commission is of the opinion that no 
new board or administrative unit is necessary. The state has already In 
its employ, men who are keenly interested in the development of the lakes 
and whose technical qualifications are of the highest. The improvement 
of the lakes can well be administered by the State Executive Council, who 
should be authorized to call on any of the state departments qualified to 
render the service which the Council desires. 

The administration of the fish and game laws is centered in the office 
of the Fish and Game Warden. The work of this department is now de- 
voted to the protection and propagation of fish and game. All matters 
connected with the fish and game in or around the lakes would be ad- 
ministered by this department. The authority of this department could 
be extended to include the policing of the lake properties to insure their 
proper use by the public. 

Expert service on all technical questions relating to tree planting, as 
well as definite plans for each lake, can be furnished by the Forestry 
Department of the Iowa State College at slight expense to the state. 
Since a forest nursery is now maintained by the Forestry Department of 
the Iowa State College for experimental reforestation work, it is practical 
to develop this nursery sufficiently to supply the necessary trees and 
other planting material for forestation work. 

Plans for road building and the superintendence of this work can be 
supplied by the Highway Commission in the same manner as for the 
state institution roads. In fact, the Highway Commission can readily 
supply all the engineering service needed in connection with lake improve- 
ment and maintenance. The lakes act as storage reservoirs to regulate 
floods and hence have a direct connection with highway bridges. 

The problems relating to lake vegetation can be satisfactorily handled 
by the Departments of Fotany at both the University and the State Col- 
lege. 

The legal questions which arise would be handled by the Attorney 
General's Department. 

The Commission is thoroughly of the opinion that the principle of co- 
operation urged between the state and the local communities in the im- 
provement of the lakes can well be extended to provide all necessary 
technical advice and plans from the various state departments. 

Financial Management. 

The duties relating to the financial and construction details are in- 
volved and demand business training and executive ability. 

There is considerable land drained under the former law which re- 
mains to be disposed of. The tiling, reclamation and renting of the lakes 
to be drained in the future are to be handled. On lakes to be improved, 
final plans are to be prepared, contracts let, and construction work sup- 
ervised and paid for. Negotiations will have to be carried on for the pur- 
chase or condemnation of land. Claims for damages will have to be in- 
vestigated and settled. The management will often find it important to 
get in personal touch with public officials, private landowners, clubs and 



16 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

improvement associations to gain their co-operation, and at times their 
financial assistance in carrying on desirable improvements. 

Legislation Required. 

That Iowa's lakes may be preserved and maintained for her use and 
future enjoyment, the whole policy must be provided for and defined 
through legislative enactment. 

The Commission submits for the consideration of the General Assembly, 
the following general principles: 

1. The adoption of the general policy of lake preservation and improvement for 
the benefit of the people of the state and for useful purposes, such as providing 
recreation places for summer resorts, camping, boating, bathing, fishing and hunting; 
for furnishing ice supplies; for flood protection by acting as storage reservoirs and 
for possible climatic and agricultural benefits. 

2. A provision for placing the administration of the lakes, including their preserva- 
tion, improvement, and management in the hands of the proper state officials and 
employees, without creating any new board or administrative unit. 

3. A provision under which cities, towns or other administrative units located 
contiguous to the lakes may, in co-operation with the state, condemn land for parks 
and for roads, which are needed to afford the public free access to the lakes. 

4. A provision under which the state and counties, towns, townships and other 
public or private organizations may co-operate to improve the lakes and to share 
the costs on an equitable basis. 

5. A provision for effectively controlling the use of the lakes and the public 
properties and for providing proper police regulations. This protection must include 
the shores, the trees, the roads and materials found in or on the shores, such as sand, 
gravel and boulders. 

6. A provision regulating the construction of private improvements on the lake 
shores such as boat houses and piers. Also the use of motor and sail boats on the 
lakes. 

7. A provision authorizing the management to regulate and, if thought advisable, 
to license concessions which are installed at the lakes for revenue purposes. 

8. A provision authorizing the management to enter on" private land and regulate 
its use when necessary to protect the lakes, such as may be necessary in shore 
protection; to advertise and let contracts; to alter channels of inlets and outlets; to 
divert streams, drainage ditches and tile drains; to fill water courses; to construct 
regulating works; to build roads, bridges and fences. 

9. A provision authorizing the raising of lake levels and the appraisal and pay- 
ment of damages. 

10. A provision for .changing the names of the lakes and granting general authority 
to prescribe proper rules and regulations for the use and protection of the lakes and 
all other properties connected therewith in which the state is interested. 

11. A provision authorizing co-operation with the authorities of contiguous states 
or their sub-divisions or private property owners for the purpose of lake improvement 
A number of Iowa's lakes are on the Minnesota-Iowa state line. 

12. A provision for condemning, appraising and paying for land taken for lake 
purposes. 

13. A provision defining and providing the revenues that may be used for pur- 
poses of lake improvement. 

14. A provision providing for the disposal of land in lake beds which have been 
drained and for the drainage and administration of the lake beds which are to be 
drained and sold or drained and retained by the state. 

15. A provision authorizing the management to make co-operative arrangements 
with the state departments and institutions to supply technical service and advice to 
develop state nurseries for lake shore forestation and to make use of available em- 
ployees and equipment to assist in carrying into effect the general policy of lake 
improvement. 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 17 



CHAPTER TWO — THE LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



Since many of the characteristics of Iowa's lakes date back to the time 
of their formation, a brief review of their origin will help to a better 
understanding of their nature. For the purposes of this report, they may 
be divided into two classes. 

The first, and by far the larger class, comprises those lakes in the 
north and central parts of the state which owe their existence to glacial 
action. At three times during its geological history, Iowa has been in- 
vaded by glaciers. First the Kansan, later the Iowan and finally the Wis- 
consin ice sheets pushed down from the north, wiping out the then ex- 
isting drainage lines, overriding the hills, .filling up the valleys, and con- 
verting the State into a region somewhat resembling Greenland as it is 
today. 

Bach of these glaciers has in its turn retreated northward dropping as 
it went, the loads of debris which it had pushed and carried down from 




Fig. 4— Little Wall Lake, Hamilton County. The shore line of Little Wall Lake is 
typical of the lakes which have formed by glacial action. This type of lake forms 
the largest class of lakes in the state. This is a famous hunting resort for 
central Iowa. There are no other lakes or marshes in many miles. These stores 
are barren and unattractive at present. The shore lines are high around a good 
portion of the lake and by forestation, beautiful camp grounds could be provided 
here. Tree growth would also prevent the soil erosion which is both destroying 
the shores and the lake itself. 

the districts to the north and east. During these retreats, the waters 
from the melting fronts poured away to the southward, distributing the 
sands, gravels and clays which fonm our present prairies. 

The last of these (the Wisconsin ice sheet) is the only one in which we 
are interested. This sheet entered from Minnesota and pushed southward 
in the form of a great triangle, its base reaching fromi Worth to Osceola 
counties along the Iowa-Minnesota line, and its apex reaching to the 
present 'City of Des Moines. Its outline may be traced today by low 
irregular chains of morainic hills or knobs which were heaped up along 
the edges of the ice. The area within these boundaries while compara- 
2 



18 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

tively flat is made up of law hills and shallow depressions. The natural 
drainage is very incomplete, and it is difficult to determine the exact 
limits 1 of the water sheds. Many shallow ponds and undrained sloughs 
are encountered. Only the largest streams have real channels and even 
these have not as yet developed any system of tributaries. 

During this glacial period, the first class of Iowa's lakes were formed. 
The lakes are generally small, nearly all of them are comparatively shal- 
low and for the most part, the drainage areas tributary to them are too 
small to maintain a constant water level during dry years. 

The second clasis comprises those lakes which lie near the two great 
rivers that form the eastern and western boundaries of the State. As all 
who are at all familiar with these streams know, they have not always 
occupied their present channels. During the ages in which they have been 
busy eroding the valleys which they occupy today, they have constantly 
been at work cutting away the banks and beds in some places, piling up 




Fig. 5 — Noble's Lake, Harrison and Pottawattamie Counties. The shore line of 
Noble's Lake is typical of the type of lake formed by the cutting off of a bend 
in a river. This type is the second and smaller class of Iowa lakes. This lake 
was formed by cutting off of a large bend in the Missouri River. 

bars of sand and gravel in others, and so working back and forth across 
their flood plains in great bends and curves. 

During the course of these wanderings parts of the old channels have 
been abandoned, their mouths filled in by later activities of the rivers 
and the old channel filled with the drainage from the country immediately 
surrounding them. 

In this way our second class of lakes were formed. They lie low in the 
alluvial valleys of their parent stream only a few feet at best above the 
present water level and often subject to back water in times of flood. 
Their beds are shallow, their water sheds as a rule are very limited, and 
their banks low and rather unattractive. The Missouri River, because of 
the easily eroded nature of the material through which it flows, has been 
especially active in forming this class of lakes. It appears not unlikely 
that this same erratic river may later return and in a week undo its 
former work. 



SURVEY OF I IK! II WAY COMMISSION L9 

The streams which drain the lakes are slowly hut surely cutting their 
valleys deeper, tending thus to lower the water surface. The streams 
which enter the lakes are constantly bringing down soil from' the sur- 
rounding lands. This soil is dropped in the comparatively quiet waters of 
the lakes, and so the bottom is built up. Dust blown from the neighbor- 
ing fields aids in the process. At last during some more than usually dry 
season rushes and other water plants begin to grow, adding their con- 
tribution of decaying vegetable matter. Thus if nature continues her 
work undisturbed, the shallow lake becomes a slough. The slough in its 
turn becomes a peat bog and finally emerges as dry ground, with the 
creek winding its way through a channel low enough to afford drainage 
to the tract. Among the lakes under consideration are found examples! of 
each step in this process. 

West Okoboji in Dickinson County is over one hundred and twenty 
(120) feet in depth. Duck Lake in Winnebago County is scarcely three 
feet deep. Depth alone, however, does not form a citerion by which tne 
value of a lake may be judged. 

Previous 'Administration. 

During the earlier years of the state's history, as was but natural, very 
little attention wasi paid to her lakes. The country was new and sparcely 
settled, and plenty of cheap land was to be had. At that time also the 
reclamation of wet lands by means of drainage was neither understood 
nor practiced as is the case today. The country was dotted with un- 
drained sloughs. Water fowl as well as other wild game was plentiful. 

A few of the more shallow lakes were patented to various counties 
under the Swamp Land Act of 1850. 

With the rising price of land, and the development of land drainage, a 
demand arose for the reclamation of the beds of certain of the meandered 
lakes, and in 1904 a law looking toward the accomplishment of this end 
was passed by the state legislature. This act (Chapter 2-B, Title 14, Sup- 
plement to the Code, 1913), under which a number of the lakes have been 
drained, authorized the Executive Council to survey the lakes and to 
determine which should be retained and which sold. 

Proceedings were started by a petition to the State Executive Council 
for drainage, signed by fifty property owners, at least twenty of whom 
were residents of the township in which the lake was situated. 

A survey of the lake was ordered and after a hearing, the Council de- 
termined what was to be done with the lake. In case drainage was de- 
termined upon, the actual work was carried out by the County Board of 
Supervisors, the State paying drainage assessments upon the lake bed in 
the same manner as did other property owners in the district. The net 
proceeds from the sale of the land, after the deduction of the cost of sur- 
vey appraisement, drainage and sale, were returned to the county road 
fund. 

Schedule No. 1 gives a list of the lakes disposed of, their location and 
size. 

Schedule No. 2 gives a list of lakes, upon which the Highway Commis- 
sion is directed to report, together with their location and size. 



20 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OP IOWA 













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22 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



SCHEDULE NO. 2— LAKES REPORTED UPON UNDER THE 
PRESENT LAW. 



Lake 



Sections 



County 



Babcocks. 
Big 



Big & Kains. 

Birge 

Blue 



Brown's. 
Center. . 
Clear. . . . 
Clear 



Little Wall or Cornelia. 

Crystal 

Dan Green's Slough 

Diamond 

Duck 

Eagle 



Elk 

Elm 

Four Mile. 



Gar 

Goose 

Goose 

Grass. ....... 

Green Bay. 



High 

Hottes 

Iowa 

Iowa 

Jefferson Slough. 



Little Spirit. 
Little Wall.. 

Lizard 

Lost Island. 



Marble.. 
Medium. 



Mud 

Mud Hen. 
Nobles 



Okoboji (East). 



Okoboji (West). 



Pickerel. 



Pleasant. 
Prairie. . . 
*Round. . 
Rush 



Rush.. 
Silver. 
Silver. 

Silver. 
Silver. 

Spirit. 



30 and 31 

4-S-8-9 

16-17 

13-24 

12-13-18 

34-35-1-2-3-10 

11-12-13-18-14 

28-29-32-33 

5-6-7 and 8 

5-6-31 and 32 

21-22-23-24-26 

13-14-15-16-20 

9-16 

9-10-15-16 

8-9-16-17-20 

10-11-14-15 

20-21 

18-19-30 

13-24 

36-1 

21-22-27-28 

18-13 

29-30-32 

17 

1-6-7-12 

16-17 

26-27-28-29 

31-32-33 

14-15 and 23 

7-8-17-18-19 

11-12-14 

9 

31-32 

5-6 

7-8 

9-10-15-16 

22-27 

31-32-5-6 

36 and 1 

17-18-19-20 

32-5-7-8-18 

19-24 

11-12-13 

1 and 2 

2-35 

32-34-3-4-10 

11-14-15-16-17 

20-21 

1-2-11-12-13 

23-24-25-26-35 

36-19-30-31 

1-36 

7 

23 

13-14-23-24 

30 and 31 

25 and 36 

20-21 

16-20-21 

33 and 34 

27-28-29-32 

14-15 

28-29 

18-19-20-21 

8-9-10-11-14-15 

16-17-20-21-22-27 

28-29 



81 
99 

100 
100 

83-84 

87 

99 

91-92 

96 

92 
97 
97 
100 
100 
96 

95-96 
92 
99 

99 
100 

84 
100 



100 

100 

100 

99-100 



100 



91 
96-97 



100 
96-97 



77-78 
99-100 

99 

93-94 

99 
99 



100 
94 



100 
100 
95 

100 



7 
3 

4 
32-33 
45-46 

47 
36 
34 
22 

24 
25 
35 
37 
24 
24 & 25 

35 

24 

34-35 

36 

30 

30-31 

33 

3 

33 
36 
31 
39 
36 

36 

24 

31 

34 & 35 

36 

32-33 

33 
3 
45 

36 



36-37 



35 

35 
36 
45 

39-40 
34 

4 

38 
22 
34 

36 



Johnson 
Allamakee 

Allamakee 

Emmet 

Monona 

Woodbury 
Dickinson 
Pocahontas 
Cerro Gordo 

Wright 

Hancock 

Clay_ 

Dickinson 

Winnebago 

Hancock 

Clay 
Wright 
Emmet and 
Dickinson 
Dickinson 
Kossuth 
Greene 
Emmet 
Lee 

Emmet 

Dickinson 

Emmet 

Osceola 

Dickinson 

Dickinson 
Hamilton 
Pocahontas 
Clay and 

Palo Alto 
Dickinson 
Palo Alto 

Emmet 
Allamakee 
Pottawattamie 
and Harrison 
Dickinson 



Dickinson 



Buena Vista 

and Clay 
Dickinson 
Dickinson 
Harrison 

Osceola 
Palo Alto 
Delaware 

Dickinson 
Worth 
Palo Alto 

Dickinson 



SURVEY OF II Kill WAV COMMISSION 



23 



SCI MODULE NO. 2— LAKES REPORTED UPON UNDER THE 
PRESENT LAW.— Continued. 



Lake 



Storm. 



Swag 

Swan 

Swan — West. 



Swan 

Tow Head 

Trumbull and Round. 



Tuttle 

Twelve Mile 

Twin Lakes — East.. 
Twin Lakes — West.. 
Twin Lakes— North. 

Twin Lakes— South. 

Twin Sisters 

Virgin 

Wall 



Wall 

Welch 

Wood Lake. 



Sections 



Twp. N. 



Range W. 



County 



4-5-8-9-10-11 


90 


37 


Buena Vista 


14-15 and 16 








9 and 10 


100 


30 


Kossuth 


22-23-26-27 


100 


35 


Dickinson 


25-36 


99 


32-33 


Emmet 


29-30-31 








32-33-4 and 5 


80-81 


7 


Johnson 


23-24 


89 


34 


Calhoun 


34-3 


96-97 


35 


Clay 


22-23-26-27-35 








10-11-12 


100 


32 


Emmet 


20-21-29 


98 


34 


Emmet 


19-20-29-30 


94 


24 


Hancock 


24-19-25-30 


94 


24-25 


Hancock 


1-32-33 








2<?-27 


88-89 


32-33 


Calhoun 


1-2-11-12 


88 


33 


Calhoun 


28-29 


93 


24 


Wright 


29-30 


96 


34 


Palo Alto 


33-34-35 


86-87 


36 


Sac 


2-3-4 








2-3-10-11-14-15 


90 


24 


Wright 


23-24-25-26 


100 


37 


Dickinson 


24 


96 


25 


Hancock 



*Nothing was found in the state records to show that this lake had been disposed 
of. After its survey a record of its sale by the county was found at the county seat. 



Legal Status. 

The question as to whether the federal or the state government holds 
title to these lands is frequently raised. This matter was thoroughly dis- 
cussed by Milton Rem'ley, Attorney General for the state in an opinion 
rendered to Governor F. D. Jackson. (Iowa Documents 1900, "Vol. 2, Land 
Dept., page 94). His conclusion was that the state by virtue of its rights 
as sovereign, holds title to all lakes. 

The term meandered lake is used in describing those bodies of water, 
which at the time of the division and sale of the public lands surrounding- 
were set apart and retained as government property. Meander posts 
were set at each point where a section line intersected tlhe shore. A 
meander line was then run, following the shore line, from one of these 
posts to another until the whole lake had been encircled. The instruc- 
tions for the survey, directed that these meander lines, wherever possible, 
be run along the high water line. - 

The courts have held that this line was surveyed, not as a boundary 
between the land retained by the state and that sold to private owners, 
but to permit of the lake being outlined on the map and that the areas of 
the fractional pieces of land might be computed. Private property abut- 
ting on meandered lakes is bounded by the ordinary highwater line, and 
the boundary moves with that line when it changes slowly, through the 
processes of nature. If a change takes place in a sudden, violent, or arti- 
ficial manner, the boundary of such property remains as before. 



24 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

The Examination. 

In undertaking an examination of the scope required under the present 
law, the need of reliable maps upon which the information collected re- 
garding each lake could be recorded, and which could be used as the basis 
for making estimates of the cost of drainage or of improvement, at once 
become apparent. The maps of certain lakes, surveyed by the Executive 
Council were available, and after having been reduced to a uniform scale, 
were used. A map of West Okoboji had been made by the Civil Engineer- 
ing Department of the State College and this also has been used. Aside 
from these mentioned, no maps were to be had. Surveys of the remain- 
ing lakes were at once begun and because of the limited time, carried 
forward regardless of weather conditions. 

Following a provision of the law, a party of engineering students in 
charge of Professor Ford began the work o>fl survey in June, 1915. Weather 
conditions were unfavorable for field work throughout the summer. On 
the first of September when they returned to their school work, seven 
lakes covering an area of 7,135 acres had been completed. 




Fig. 6 — Group of three lake bed survey parties at Lost Island Lake, Palo Alto 
County. These parties were in charge of S. A. Schackle, H. S. Leicht and W. 
M. MacGibbon. 



At this time, it was apparent that the work could not be completed 
with the aid of students only. Two surveying parties under H. S. 
Leicht and S. A. Schackle were placed in the field by the' Commission 
during the fall of 1915 and a third party under W. M. MiacG-ibbon, in the 
spring of 1916. The weather during the winter of 1915 continued very 
unfavorable for field work, with deep snow and extremely cold weather. 
These three parties have made surveys of twenty four lakes, covering 
63,926 acres of topography. 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 26 

In October 1915, the Fish and Game Department put a party in the field 
under the direction of Mr. Reeves. This party surveyed eighteen lakes, 
taking a total of 12,061 acres of topography. 

In June, 1916, a party of engineering students from Ames, took up the 
lake survey under the direction of Professor Ford. During the summer 
they completed the survey of three lakes, taking topography of 6,040 acres. 

In all fifty-two lakes have been surveyed. The topography of 89,162 
acres has been taken. 

It was realized at the start that the area to be covered was large and 
the work however done, would be expensive. In view of these facts it 
seemed best to make the surveys reasonably complete, so that the same 
ground would not have to be gone over in the future. Carrying out this 
idea, permanent concrete monuments were set in protected locations near 
each lake. These will prove useful as the work of lake improvement is 
undertaken. 

The question of the advisability of running levels from lake to lake so 
that all the surveys might be referred to a uniform base level (sea level) 
was considered. Keeping in mind the various uses to which such maps 
would be put, the expense of so doing did not seem warranted. Each sur- 
vey was based on a datum plane assumed one hundred feet below the 
water surface in the lake except where two or more lakes were connected. 
In that case the levels were carried from the lowest lake. 

A uniform scale of five hundred feet to the inch was determined upon 
for the field maps. The details of field work varied in the different 
parties. In general, transit and stadia or plane table methods have been 
used, and the maps drawn on the ground. 

The first step consisted in running a control traverse by chaining or 
by stadia. Latitudes and departures were computed, the survey closed, 
and the transit points plotted on the field sheets by co-ordinates. Topog- 
raphy sufficient to locate the shore line, and lines five feet and ten feet 
above the shore line was then taken and plotted up. All buildings, fence 
lines, section corners, roads, tile drains, ditches and other natural and 
artificial objects that migiit have a bearing on the disposition of the lake 
were carefully located. The lakes were sounded to obtain the depth ofi 
water. Borings were made to determine the character of the bottom and 
in many cases lines were run down the outlets till fall enough to give 
good drainage was found. 

Watershed lines have been mapped to show the area of land which 
drains into each lake. Some of them' were obtained from county drain- 
age maps, others were traced out on the ground. All computations have 
been independently checked before the work was turned into the office. 

Engineer's Examination. 

While the survey was in progress a careful examination of the condi- 
tions surrounding each lake was made by the engineer in charge, R. W. 
Clyde. While conditions at the various lakes differ somewhat, in gen- 
eral the problems encountered are very much the same, and may be dis- 
cussed under the following heads: 



26 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

Drainage of Surrounding Lands. 

Attention has before been called to the fact that the region in which 
the lakes are situated is of very recent origin and that its natural drain- 
age systems have not yet developed. Thus it is, that in many instances 
there are shallow sloughs in the vicinity of many of the lakes whose 
natural outlet is through the lake but which are so little above the lake 
surface that they cannot be tiled successfully. The owners of the land 
desire to drain it. It is recognized that this desire is a laudable one, but 
it should be remembered that the land was purchased with an under- 
standing of conditions, often as a speculation, and never with any assur- 
ance that the rest of the commonwealth would waive its rights to the 
enjoyments of) the lake, so that the individual might benefit. 

In some few instances these low lands may be drained in some other 
direction, without decreasing the water supply of the lake enough to be 




Fig. 7 — Noble's Lake, Harrison and Pottawattamie Counties. This photograph shows 
the damage done to the shore line of the lake by erosion. It also shows the 
unsuccessful efforts made by private parties to protect the shore line and save 
the grove on the lake bank in which their home is located. 

objectionable. In a few instances the area to be drained is large enough 
to warrant the installation of a pumping plant which will lift the water 
into the lake. Attention has been called to these possibilities in the re- 
ports on individual lakes. 

At many of the lakes investigated tile has been laid from surrounding 
land which outlets at the present lake level. In such cases, where the 
lake is of a character to warrant improvement, it has been considered 
best -to recommend deepening of the lake rather than raising its level. 
The question as to whether the placing and maintaining of such an out- 
let, without objection from the State, has established a right to such an 
outlet is purely a legal one. 
Sanitation. 

A plea for the drainage of many of our lakes has been made on the 
ground that they were detrimental to the public health and welfare, 
leaving it to be implied that drainage would improve such conditions. 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 27 

The inspection shows that the plea has been very much exaggerated. View- 
ing the matter from a practical standpoint, it is interesting to note that 
because of a water supply, the first settlements In t he lake region were 
made on the lake shores. Many of these people are fine, hearty old imen 
and women and so far as can be seen have never suffered from their 
proximity to the lakes. 

From the point of view of the modern sanitary inspector, the chief 
danger to be feared in swampy localities, is malaria fever. It is well un- 
derstood now that this disease is transferred from one person to another 
by the mosquito. Only one of all the different varieties of mosquitoes, 
the Anophelines, carries malaria and only the female of this variety. 
They dislike foul water and choose clean, shallow water for breeding 
places preferably little pools of rain water. Moreover, experience has 
demonstrated that under ordinary conditions they seldom travel over a 
thousand feet from their hatching place. A tin carelessly thrown out or 
a sagging eavestrough has often proved to be a serious point of infection 
for a construction camp. When the condition of the average farm yard 
is considered, it is apparent tihat the first fight on malaria should be 
made near home. 

Natural Water Supply. 

The drainage areas tributary to Iowa's lakes are nearly all small. This 
fact should be recognized from the start. It is not possible to maintain 
an absolutely uniform water level in the lakes, for which a desire is fre- 
quently expressed. Nature has not made the lakes that way. The rain- 
fall varies in quantity from year to year, and in distribution throughout 
the months of the year, and this variation cannot be foreseen. The lakes 
will inevitably be higher some years than they are during others, but this 
will not prevent their use as pleasant outing places. 

Improvements can be carried out in such a way as to practically con- 
trol these variations. In the case of lakes which become too shallow to 
be used during the summer, a properly arranged dam at the outlet will 
store a foot or more of the spring flood water. This extra depth of water 
will in a large measure take care of the summer's evaporation and make 
the lake usable throughout the year. 

In the case of lakes to be deepened it is advisable to use the spoil in 
building up land for park purposes, in the fonmer lake bed. This will 
decrease the lake area, materially' reduce the losses by evaporation, and 
so conserve the water supply. It is a well known fact that the evapor- 
ation from plants may be as much as three times that which takes 
place from open water. From this it is seen that killing off the water 
plants) will aid in conserving the available water. 

Nearly all our lakes receive some part of their water supply from un- 
derground flows and with some of them this constitutes the most im- 
portant source of supply. Considerable quantities of water from the 
sloughs and undrained portions of the country find their way into the 
sands and gravel of the glacial deposits. Some of these gravels may be in 
prehistoric stream beds, along which the water travels with comparative 
ease until it outflows in the form of spring in one of the lake beds. Clear 



28 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



Lake in Oerro Gordo County affords a good example of a large lake with 
a limited watershed, which is maintained in this way. It is well to note 
in this connection that the drainage of surrounding lands will decrease 
and may entirely shut off such flows. 

In a few instances, it will be practical to divert drainage from out- 
lying lands toward the lake. Where this isi practicable attention has been 
called to the fact in the reports on individual lakes. In a large number 
of cases, however, the lakes occupy relatively high ground and no supply 
of this kind is to be had. 

Artificial Water Supplies. 

An examination of data published by the Iowa Geological Survey shows 
that artesian water can probably be found under the entire lake region. 




Fig. 8 — Douglas Lodge, Itasca State Park, Minnesota. This is the largest state park 
in Minnesota. Part of the park was granted by Congress but thousands of 
acres of private holdings were bought by the state to create this famous resort. 
The state has built and maintains Douglas Lodge, the hotel, and a number of 
cottages for the accommodation of visitors. The state regulates the rates and 
the service in the hotel. 

The St. Peter sandstone, best known of Iowa's artesian water supplies, 
underlies the entire area, at elevations ranging from 800 feet above sea 
level in the northern part to 500 feet below sea level in the southern part. 
The artesian head varies from 1200 feet above sea level in the northern 
part of the state to perhaps 1,000 feet above sea level in the southern. As 
the ground surface varies from 1265 feet above sea level at Lake Mills, 
1413 feet at Spirit Lake and 1500 feet at Sibley to 1100 feet above sea 
at Jefferson and 1.000 feet at Ames it is evident that water obtained from 
this source would have to be raised with pumps. 



si RVBY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 



L'il 



There are other artesian supplies, notably those in tlie vicinity of Web- 
ster City, which come from gravel deposits just below the Kansan drift. 
Eagle Grove also draws her city supply from flowing wells part of which 
comes from the gravels and part from underlying limestone. It is not 
probable that flowing wells will be found near the lakes, a large number 
of which occupy relatively high ground. 

Throughout the lake regions good water supplies are to be found in the 
general deposits at depts ranging from fifty to three hundred feet. It is* 
from this source that the railroads which traverse the district most fre- 
quently draw water for their locomotives. The water in most cases is of 
good quality and the quantity sufficient for their needs. While it is not 
probable that pumping will prove a practicable means of providing a 
water supply for Iowa lakes, it is often suggested and deserves some dis- 
cussion. 

The rainfall and evaporation records for the State show that for one 
month the evaporation may exceed the rainfall by five inches. During two 
consecutive months it may exceed the rainfall by eight inches. During 
three consecutive months it may exceed the rainfall by about nine inches. 
This last figure appears to be a reasonable one to adopt for a pumping 
plant. At this rate, one 8" well will furnish water for twenty-six acres, 
if pumping is carried on twenty-four hours a day. 

The following table shows the theoretical horse power, the brake horse 
power and its equivalent in kilowatts necessary to supply water for one 
hundred acres of lake when pumping against different heads. The friction 
head loss in pipe has been assumed as twenty feet. 

Power Required to Raise Water for 100 Acres. 



Height in Feet 


Theoretical H. P. 


Brake H. P. 


5 


1.19 


2.38 


10 


1.43 


2.86 


15 


1.67 


3.34 


20 


1.91 


3.82 


25 


2.14 


4.28 


30 


2.38 


4.76 


35 


2.62 


5.24 1 



K. W. 



1.78 
2.13 
2.49 
2.85 
3.19 
3.55 
3.91 



It is estimated that the pumping plant including, pump, motor, build- 
ing and grounds will cost $5,400 for a lake of 100 acres, $8,700 for a lake 
having an area of 200 acres, and $12,000 for a lake having an area of 
300 acres, or roughly from $40 to $54 per acre of lake surface. No esti- 
mate can be given of the cost of the power line to the pumping plant as 
this will vary with the location. 

Fixed charges, which include interest, depreciation and insurance may 
be taken at 13 per cent that is to say from $5.20 to $7.02 per acre of lake. 
Electric power for pumping water costs from 1% to 10 cents per kilowatt 
hour. Assuming that we are to pump against a thirty-five foot head, that 
we pay 5 cents per K. W. H. and that an attendant is paid ninety dollars 
a month, the cost of operation varies from $2.78 an acre per month for 



30 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

a lake of one hundred acres to $2.17 per acre per month for a lake of 
three hundred acres. 

As an example Cornelia Lake in Wright County has an area of 262 
acres. The cost of the plant <rnay be estimated as 262x$41.26 equals 
$10,810. Fixed charges will be $10,810x.l3 equals $1,405. Operating ex- 
penses during dry years may be as high as 262x$2.23x3 equals $1,753 per 
year,. These operating expenses while somewhat high, seem reasonable 
when the small size of the plant, its isolation, and the simall percentage 
of the time it will be in operation is considered. This same plant with 
slight additions can be used for the drainage of lowlands lying near the 
lake. The two uses would in no way conflict one with the other. For 
each acre of lake supplied, nearly % acre of land could be reclaimed. By 
so doing the initial cost chargeable to lake improvements will be consid- 
erably reduced. 

A discussion of the question of water supply will not be complete with- 
out attention being drawn to the possibility of damming some of the rivers 
of the State and thus forming artificial lakes with an abundant and never 
failing natural water supply. In some instances this would seem to be the 
logical and economical method to adopt. 

Silt Deposits. 

The questions of the depth of water which should be maintained and 
of the silt deposits are very intimately related in lakes of moderate depth. 
A great variety of opinions are expressed relative to the rate at which 
such deposits accumulate. The present survey shows depths of almost 
liquid mud ranging all the way from a few inches to several feet in dif- 
ferent lakes. 

A large number of the lakes of the State range from six to ten feet in 
depth under present high water conditions. With water four feet deep, 
rushes and other water plants gain a foothold and may persist through 
two or three years of higher water. It seems evident then that the ex- 
tensive silt deposits which are forming are a serious menace to the 
beauty and utility of a large proportion of our lakes. 

That this same condition is found in other reservoirs and in drainage 
districts is shown by the following instances: 

In 1908 the Hill View drainage district of Illinois, which has a drainage area of 
some 18,500 acres, was established. In 1914, after six years of operation, they let 
contracts for the removal of 90,000 cu. yds. of silt from their ditches at a total cost 
of over $16,000.00. 

The Indian Grave drainage district established in 1914 in the same state has 
recently been put to an expense of between $30,000.00 and $40,000.00 for the removal 
of silt. 

At the lower Otay dam in California, which recently failed, it was found that 
between five and six feet of silt has accumulated in the reservoir during the nineteen 
years of use. A large part of the water which filled this reservoir came from con- 
duits and was considered very clean. 

Unquestionably the breaking up of the prairie sod which has left the 
soil exposed to the action of both wind and water, has greatly accelerated 
the rate at which these deposits are made. As Iowa's land rise in value, 
the farmer will not sit calmly by and see his heist soil carried away. Some 
inexpensive precautions in the way of check dams and terracing will pre- 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 31 

vent an appreciable part of this erosion. The State mighl well set an ex- 
ample in undertaking this work. 

At some of the lakes it will be found cheaper to catch this sediment, 
before it enters the lakes, than to remove it after it is once deposited. In 
some instances (as has been done in drainage districts) it will be possible 
to provide settling basins located in the low lands near the inlet. A shal- 
low portion of the lake itself may sometimes be utilized for this purpose 
by a dividing dyke. 

Dredging'. 

The soft black slit deposits as well as the sand and gravel which form 
the beds of Iowa lakes, can all be moved with suction dredges. The soil 
so removed can nearly always be used to advantage in building up low 
lands around the lake. It would appear that in reclamation work of this 
nature the state should be in a position to profit from the land so re- 
claimed, either through a contract with the owners or by purchase and 
resale. 

A depth of fifteen feet of water is required to insure safe winter quar- 
ters for fish. With a depth of less than this, fish may winter safely for sev- 
eral years in succession, but a sudden cold snap followed by snow, will 
seal the lake tightly and result in their death by suffocation. With a 
hard bottom a contingency of this kind may be provided for by the ex- 
cavation of holes of limited area. Where any considerable amount of 
semi-liquid mud occurs, such a plan will not prove practicable, as the 
first wind storm will stir up the mud and it will settle again in the 
deepest water. 

A modern suction dredge having a twelve inch discharge pipe, and 
engines powerful enough to pump against the heads required, will cost 
from $15,000.00 to $20,000.00, depending on the length of the discharge 
pipe and the number of pontoons required. 

It is suggested that a combination of suction and dipper dredge can be 
developed which will avoid the necessity of moving more than one hull 
to the lake where work is to be undertaken. 

Before this work is undertaken a competent consulting engineer should 
be employed to go over the ground and advise as to methods of handling 
the work and the type of machines to be used. Such advice should save 
the State many times its cost. 

Bank Protection. 

The question as to what the state should undertake in the way of bank 
protection will be raised. It will be argued on the one hand that the 
State has never done such work before, that it will lead to a never-ending 
source of expense, that it is the private property owner who suffers from 
the encroachment of the lake and hence, that he should foot the bills for 
protection. It will be urged that the courts have held that where the 
shore line of land bordering on a meandered lake changes slowly and 
imperceptibly either by adding to the land or by perceptibly washing the 
soil away, the boundary line follows the new shore line thus made. 



32 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

On the other hand, where wave action on the lake is undermining 
vertical banks, large quantities of earth fall into the lake. This earth 
is broken up and carried into the lake by shifting winds, and eventually 
deposited on the lake bottom. Our lakes are too shallow as it is, and the 
State as well as the land owner will find their best interests served by 
some kind of protection which will maintain the banks approximately in 
their present location. 
Office Work. 

The office work has consisted in inking the field sheets and making 
tracings! for each lake. Areas of lakes and water sheds have been found 
with a planimeter. Meander lines were plotted 'from the government 
notes. No attempt was made to retrace the old meanders in the field. 
They have been fitted onto the maps in what, everything considered, 
seems to have been their most probable position. In the 'majority of 
cases these meanders have followed the lake shores better than was ex- 
pected. In a few instances large discrepancies, probably due to some error 
in the original surveys have been found. Preliminary and final reports 
have been prepared for each lake examined. 
Inspection. 

With all the information obtained, the Highway Commission has, dur- 
ing the Summer of 1916, visited each of the lakes in turn, and looked over 
conditions on the ground. During these trips an effort has been made to 
meet the local people who were interested in the situation and to get 
from them any additional data which they might have to offer, as well 
as to get their point of view. These conferences have proved very val- 
uable and have given the Commission a grasp of the numerous problems 
which are to be solved that they could have- obtained in no other way. 
The results of each inspection together with recommendations as to the 
disposition of the lake are embodied in separate reports in Chapter Two. 
Estimates. 

Estimates!, as required by law have been prepared covering the cost 
of drainage and of improvements. Where drainage has been recommended 
a very thorough reclamation of the lake bed has been provided for. Main 
ditches are to go deep enough to provide efficient tile outlets for the en- 
tire area, after the shrinking of the soft mud in the lake bottom. The 
cost of the tile and of labor 1 has been figured at current prices. 

In estimating the cost of outlet dams permanent construction has been 
contemplated. The overflow section is to be of concrete with only sloping 
surfaces where there is danger of ice pressure. The foundation is of 
piling. A cut-off of steel piling has been provided at the up stream iface 
as a protection against the danger of undermining and the action of bur- 
rowing animals. An ample apron on the down stream side and wing 
walls at the ends have been included in the estimates. Their length has 
in most cases been computed so that with a two foot head they will dis- 
charge an amount of water per day equal to a half inch of runoff from the 
drainage area. In a few cases where it has been thought wise to prevent 
any marked change in the lake level a much larger capacity has been 
provided. 



PURVEY OF IIKillWAY COMMISSION 33 

The prices used in estimating the value of lands for park purposes 
have been largely a matter of judgment. No particular tracts of land 
have been selected at the different lakes. After making certain that a 
desirable location for a park exists the price has been estimated from 
the value of surrounding lands. Prices used in the estimate have varied 
from $150 to $300 an acre. 

Meadow land which will be overflowed by raising the level of a lake 
has been estimated at from $30 to $100 per acre. 

The cost of dredging is difficult to determine without knowing the 
condition under which the work is to be done. The size of the dredges 
used, the amount of work to be done in each locality and the disposition 
to be made of the spoil, as well as the nature of material to be excavated 
all are factors which will affect the cost. A price of fifteen cents per 
cubic yard has been used in the estimates. This is thought to be safe. 
In some instances the work can be done for less. 

Conclusions. 

The lakes are deteriorating under the action of natural forces and if 
the present plan is pursued it will only be a matter of a few years until 
they have nearly all passed from public to private ownership. Contrasted 
to a ,gihort sighted public policy of this sort, it is possible for the state, with 
very reasonable expenditures, to hand down to the coming generations a 
system of publicly owned parks and play grounds whose value can 
hardly be estimated. 

There is at present a demand for outing places, due largely to the 
larger radius of travel made possible by the automobile, which the private 
resort owners have failed to meet in an adequate manner. 

That this demand is a growing one the Commission is convinced. 
There are hundreds of men who do not care to spend a vacation at a 
big resort where a carnival spirit prevails. These same people would 
welcome an opportunity to spend a week with their family in some quiet 
camp or cottage where they could watch the children grow brown and 
strong, even if the fishing and boating were not of the best. 

It is often argued, in speaking of a lake, that it is all grown up to 
rushes and water plants, thus assuming in the first place that such a 
lake is of no use, and in the second place that it must always remain 
worthless unless drained. Both these assumptions are wrong. A lake in 
which the water is all deep and open is by no means an ideal one except 
as it is pleasing to the eye. Fish require shallow quiet water for spawn- 
ing grounds. Wild game shuns the open water and seeks localities where 
shelter and food are to be had. 

One class of people find rest and recreation mingling with the crowds 
of a popular resort. A second class prefer a day's tramp with only a 
dog and gun for company. A third find their pleasure in the quiet hours 
spent with a rod and line. Are the needs of one class greater than of 
the other two? 

If we are to make good our American boast, that a million men who 
can shoot and who know life in the open stand ready to respond to the 
3 



34 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

president's call, it will not be out of place for the State to retain a tew 
of the shallow lakes where these men may get their training in a way 
which is pleasant and which harms no one. 

Such a course of action will he entirely in keeping with the policy 
of the State in passing laws for the protection of fish and game and in 
collecting a hunting license. 

During the progress of the investigation the Commission has taken 
opportunities, when offered, to inspect the beds of lakes already drained 
to determine their actual value as farm lands. Several of these lake 
beds were found supporting a crop of weeds, shoulder high. The ground 
under foot was soggy and good for nothing else. A few were used in 
whole or in part for pasture land. On only two were farm crops actually 
found growing. 

These conditions are due to several reasons. In the first place the 
plans for drainage have often been entirely inadequate. The ditches have 
been too shallow to drain the water from the deep soft mud of the lake 
bottoms. Rice Lake in Winnebago County is an example. The lake was 
drained in 1906. In 1916 a stagnant pool of water covers several acres 
in the south central part of the lake bed. The: remainder is a marsh, too 
wet to afford safe footing and covered with a rank plant growth. Plans 
on file in the county auditor's office show that the bottom of the ditch 
wasi to be four feet above the bottom of the deepest part of the lake. 
The outlet ditch is eight miles in length and it will cost a large sum of 
money to deepen it enough to afford good drainage to the lake bed. The 
people in the vicinity are dissatisfied and wish the lake restored. The 
fact that some thirteen thousand dollars have been legally collected as 
assessments on the district above the lake, complicates the situation. 

A second reason is that the purchasers of the beds have often lacked 
capital to properly tile the land and to plant and subdue it. Such land 
is heavy and requires considerable time and work before it can be ex- 
pected to produce common farm crops. Making allowance, however, for 
these conditions it must be admitted that the development of the land 
has been distressingly slow. 

This brings us to the third, and what appears to the Commission to 
be the principal cause of the conditions found to exist in the drained 
lake beds. In a large number of instances 1 there has been no real demand 
for the drainage of the lake bed itself except as it offered the cheapest 
outlet for the drainage of surrounding lands. The prices at which much 
of this land has been sold bears out this conclusion. Taken as a whole 
the results obtained by lake drainage are discouraging from the State's! 
standpoint. 

The work of preserving and improving the lakes and of making them 
accessible to the public, their owners, is a legitimate function of the 
State, and directly in line with similar undertakings which are being 
carried on by the federal and other State governments. The United 
States owns and manages several national parks. It exercises a very 
strict supervision over their use by the public and over private enter- 
prises such as hotels and transportation lines which depend for their 
patronage upon tourists drawn there by the parks. 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 

Minnesota has in all about 43,600 acres in state parks. The largest 
of these, [tasca State Park, includes some 20,000 acres part of which was 
donated to the State by Congress. The State has expended approxi- 
mately $175,000 acquiring private holdings. Here the State has built a 
hotel called Douglas Lodge, and several cottages for the accommodation 
(>!' the public. They prescribe the rates which may be charged for board, 
ior rooms and for saddle horses and teams, and exercise a supervision 
over the kind of meals that are served. 

Persons desiring to camp in the park are issued a permit for the 
nominal sum of fifty cents. A deposit of five dollars is required to in- 
sure compliance with the regulations. This park as well as the Burntside 
State Forest is under the jurisdiction of the Minnesota Forest Service. 



CHAPTER THREE — REPORT ON INDIVIDUAL LAKES 



LAKES IN ALLAMAKEE COUNTY. 

Lake No. 1, Big Lake; No. 2, Big Lake; No. 3, Kain's Lake; No. J t , Miticl 
Hen Lake. Survey made by the Mississippi River Commission. In- 
spection made September 22-23, 1916. 

The four lakes covered by this report are, Mud Hen Lake, in Sections 
1 and 2-96-3, which lies just to the east of Waukon Junction; Big Lake, 
Sections 4-5-8-9-16 and 17-99-3, which is located to the north and east of 
Lansing; Kain's Lake, Sections 24 and 25-100-4, just east of Kain's siding, 
and Big Lake, Sections 13 and 24-100-3, which lies south and east of 
New Albin. The first two are most easily reached by motor boat from 
Waukon Junction and Lansing. The last two are easily reached on foot 
from New Albin during low water, or by boat from the same place when 
the river is high. 

If reference is made to a county map, it will be seen that the Missis- 
sippi River, near Waukon Junction, and from Lansing north to the state 
line, lies well over to the eastern part of its valley. The land between 
the main channel of the river and the Iowa bluffs (which are followed 
by the railroad) is cut up by a network of auxiliary channels, bays and 
ponds. The four lakes in question are simply four of the largest of 
these ponds. 

Big Lake near New Albin is partly grown up to water plants; Kain's 
Lake is almost entirely overgrown; the lower two are open water. At 
the time of our inspection, in September, the water in these lakes ran 
from four to six feet deep. The gauge at McGregor stood at 5.1. Low 
water on this gauge is 0.0. High water is 21.5. The banks stood from 
four to six feet above the water level and were covered with a thick 
growth of scrub timber and brush. 

No attempt was made to make a survey. The Mississippi River Charts 
of this section, are complete and accurate. 



36 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

The areas, as taken from the meanders are Big and Kain's 200 acres, 
B'ig Lake near Lansing 679 acres, Mud Hen 164 acres. 

The entire valley is subject to overflow when the river is high. The 
upper Iowa River empties into the Mississippi just to the south of New 
Albin. In times of flood its waters come nearly into the town and spread 
out over all of the flat country to the south and east. Very little effort 
is made by land owners to bring the bottom land near these lakes under 
cultivation. It is undoubtedly true that during some seasons an abun- 
dant crop might be harvested, but experience from year to year with the 
attendant loss of seed and labor has made them regard an occasional 
crop as hardly worth the risk. Hogs and stock are allowed to find pasi- 
ture as they can. 

The lakes themselves serve as valuable breeding places for fish. Con- 
stant watching is necessary to prevent them from being seined out by 
parties of fishermen who come in for that purpose. 

There are many acres of land in this vicinity that may ultimately be 
diked off from the riven, and reclaimed by pumping. This will be a 
scheme for private capital. It will be expensive and will not be under- 
taken for years to come. 

Recommendations • 

The Commission recommends that these lakes be retained in their 
present condition. Only one improvement can be suggested.- At times of 
low water the fish which hatch here sometimes' perish from lack of air 
during the winter. It is suggested that at Big Lake near Lansing and 
at Mud Hen Lake opposite Waukon Junction, artesian wells might be 
bored, which would keep some open water during the winter months and 
thus 1 save the fish. 

Artesian water should be found at a depth of from two hundred to 
two hundred fifty feet. Such wells as are desired can be bored for about 
three dollars a foot, making the whole expenditure not to exceed fifteen 
hundred dollars. 

STORM LAKE, BUENA VISTA COUNTY. 

Lake No. 5. Survey made by the State Highway Commission. Inspection 
made August 10, 1916. 

Storm Lake occupies parts of sections 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, and 16, 
of township 90 north, range 37 west. The City of Storm Lake, a town 
of twenty-five hundred people, lies on the north shore of the lake. The 
Illinois Central, Minneapolis and St. Louis, and the Chicago, Milwaukee 
and St. Paul Railroads, render the lake accessible from every direction. 
Public highways skirt the north, west and east shores of the lake. 

Storm Lake is the natural playground for a considerable area of 
country. Spirit Lake and the Okobojis are about fifty miles to the north; 
the Twin Lakes in Calhoun County are about forty miles to the east; 
Wall Lake in Sac County is about thirty miles to the southeast. 

The lake is a nice open sheet of water from seven to nine feet in 
depth. The banks are high except for a short distance on the east, and 



SURVBS OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 37 

where the inlet enters from the northwest. A large slough a1 the Inlel 
and a smaller one a little to the south, are the only areas of low land 
in the vicinity. 

On the west shore of the lake, at what is known as Casino Park, a 
good sized summer resort is established. All the usual amusements are 
provided, and large crowds are attracted. During the summer, a launch 
makes regular trips to and from the town. 

The lake has been stocked with fish and fair catches are made during 
the open season. Due largely to the lack of shelter, no great amount of 
hunting is done in the immediate neighborhood of the lake. 

The park board of the city has established a public park which ex- 
tends for over half a mile along the north shore of the lake, and has 
just gone to considerable expense, gathering and planting the various 
kinds of trees that are natives of the state, and in grading and protect- 
ing the lake bank along the park front. 

The city of Storm Lake draws water for municipal use from the lake. 
The effluent from the city sewage disposal plant east of town, is dis- 
charged into the lake. Some complaint has been made of the odor which 
arises from a minute green plant-like growth that appears in water dur- 
ing the month of August. This seems to be a condition that is common 
to all of Iowa's lakes and which does not usually prove objectionable 
except in years of low water. 

Several tile enter the lake at various places around the shore, but as 
far as could be determined, all of them have been placed so as to have 
satisfactory outlets. The lake has an area of 3,080 acres. The meander 
encloses 3,060 acres. The water shed consists of 20,230 acres. 

Although the lake varies somewhat in level from year to year, the 
water supply may be said to be fairly satisfactory. The main inlet is a 
ditch from the northwest that drains a considerable area of country. 

The outlet to the lake is to the southeast into the Raccoon River, but 
the lake is exactly on the divide, and within the memory of early settlers, 
flood waters have gone to the Boyer. The county board of supervisors, 
co-operating with the Commercial Club of the City of Storm Lake, have 
installed and kept in repair a concrete dam, some seventy-two feet long 
at the outlet of the lake. Sand, gravel and clay, form the lake bottom, 
although in places, this is covered with deposits of silt. 

Legal Status. 

The ordinary high water level has been fixed by the courts in the 
case of the State of Iowa vs. Terrence Thomas, et al., which was tried 
in the November term, 1912. This suit was brought to prevent the haul- 
ing away of sand from along the lake's edge. The court decree made 
permanent a temporary injunction which had been issued as to the, de- 
fendants in default, to-wit, G. H. Edwards, W. J. Schoner, and the Lake 
Side Stock Farm Company. The case was appealed to the Supreme Court, 
and affirmed. 

At the time of this inspection, wagons were being loaded with sand 
taken from the lake bed at the east end of the lake. This deliberate 



38 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OP IOWA 

spoliation has been going on for years. First, the rock which protected 
the lake shores and now the sands also are being taken for private use. 
If the lake is to be preserved, an equal quantity of hard materials will 
have to be shipped in and deposited around the lake shores. Naturally, 
the state will be expected to foot the bill. Immediate steps should be 
taken not only to remedy the laws if they are inadequate, but what seems 
more important, to see that they are rigidly enforced. 

Members of the Storm Lake Commercial Club have offered to co-operate 
in the prosecution of offenders, but suggest that the high water marks 
as established by the courts, be marked out on the ground to aid in the 
ready determination of the facts in any given case. This could easily 
be done if the high water line were a fixed line. Unfortunately, this 
is not the case, for the courts have held that where the shore line changes 
slowly from year to year, the ownership of property changes with the 
shore line. 

Special Problem. 

The question of bank protection is by far the most important which 
should be considered in connection with this lake. For the preservation 
of natural banks, or where bank protection is undertaken by the state, 
it is not sufficient that the states have jurisdiction up to high water mark 
alone. The action of both waves and ice which tear down the banks, 
extends beyond this line. Unless means can be provided whereby the 
state can protect the natural rock along the lake shores, and the material 
she may see fit to deposit for bank protection, no money should be spent 
for such works. 

There is in all, a mile and a half of bank where the lake is cutting 
badly. At some places, this is at the rate of about fifteen feet a year. 
The banks vary in height from ten to twenty-five feet. In other loca- 
tions, where the rock is in its original place, the banks stand perfectly. 

Just to the west of the city, is one of the worst examples of this bank 
damage. Large trees are cut out and have ifallen into the water. The 
quantity of dirt washed down, is large and is of course, carried out into 
the lake. 

The highway on the south is some distance from the lake shores. A 
drive, four miles long, could be built which would follow the shore very 
closely, and add ■materially to the attractiveness of the lake. Such a 
plan, however, would meet with strong opposition from the property 
owners on the south shore. 

Recommendations . 

The Commission recommends that here, as at Clear Lake, authority 
be granted for co-operation with the local authorities in obtaining options 
and making arrangements for the future construction of a road to follow 
the south lake shore; also that $10,000 be expended in bank protection 
work, and that land for a public park be purchased fronting on the south 
or west side of the lake; the estimated cost of which is $8,000.00. 



SURVEY OK IllCHWAY COMMISSION 



:;<t 



PICKEREL LAKE, CLAY AND BUENA VISTA COUNTIES. 

Lake No. 6. Survey made by the State Highxoay Commission. Inspection 
made August i>, 1916. 

Pickerel Lake occupies parts of section 1, township 93 north, range 
35 west, and section 36, township 94 north, range 35 west. The town of 
Marathon on the C, M. & St. P. Ry. is six miles southwest of the lake. 
Laurens, in Pocahontas County, at the junction of the C. & N. W. and 
C, R. I. & P. Ry., is six miles southeast of the lake. Storm Lake is 
thirty-two miles southwest of Pickerel Lake. Clear Lake is eleven miles 
to the southeast. To the northeast, Rush Lake lies four miles away, 
Silver Lake ten miles, and Lost Island eighteen miles. Two township 
roads touch the lake, one on the east and the other on the west. 

The banks are high, and good groves of natural timber cover the 
eastern and northern shore. The water is from four to six feet deep, 
and while there are few rushes to be seen, other water plants destroy 
the pleasure of boating. 

The area of this lake is 171 acres. The area enclosed by the govern- 
ment meander is 176 acres. Eight hundred forty acres of land drain 




Fig. 9— Pickerel Lake, Buena Vista County. Pickerel Lake covers about one quarter 
section. It is an open water lake. To keep up the water level, private parties 
have built a dam at the outlet. Fishing is good and the resort is a popular 
place for people of the community. 



into the lake. One slough drains into the lake from the northwest. This 
cannot be drained out unless the lake is drained. 

Parties living in Laurens have built a small resort on the east side, 
which at present is kept open on Sundays. There is a base ball park, 
boats to rent, and considerable crowds from the nearby towns and the 
surrounding country gather here for their outings. 

Bullheads and carp are to be caught. The depth of water does not 
warrant its being stocked with game fish. The hunting is considered 
good. There is enough cover to permit ducks to nest here and raise 
their young. 



40 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OP IOWA 



As is the case with many of the lakes of the state, the water shed is 
small. No streams enter the lake. During dry seasons it is to be ex- 
pected that there will be a shortage of water. During average years 1 the 
lake is used and appreciated by a great many people. 

The outlet is to the southeast to Cedar Creek. A rough concrete dam 
has been built by local people, which holds the water at a fair level. 
If this were raised, two sloughs to the northwest would be flooded and 
would probably have to be purchased by the state. 

The bottom is of a black silt underlaid by sand and clay. 

Blackbirdis and mosquitoes are found in about the same numbers as 
at other lakes, but scarcely any complaint is made of them by people 
residing in the vicinity. 

Recommendations. 

There is not as pressing a need of improvement at this lake as at 
many of the other small lakes. The Commission recommends that a 




Fig. 10 — Pickerel Lake, Buena Vista County. Pickerel Lake could be greatly im- 
proved at comparatively slight expense by building a permanent dam at the 
outlet. Raising the water level would necessitate the purchasing of a couple 
of marshes which are at present valueless. 

permanent dam be built which will raise the water level two feet. That 
the slough northwest of the lake be purchased and made a part of the 
lake and that land be purchased for a public park fronting on the water. 
The estimated costs are seven hundred dollars for the dam, one thousand 
dollars 'for damages including the price of the slough, and thirty-five 
hundred dollars for the park. 



TOW HEAD LAKE, CALHOUN COUNTY. 

Lake No. 7. Survey made by the State Highway Commission. Inspection- 
made September 29, 1916. 

This so-called lake is located in sections 23 and 24, township 89 north, 
range 34 west. The village of Knoke on the C, M. & St. P. R. R., lies 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 41 

three miles to the east and Panda on the I. C. R. R., is six miles to the 
north. The Twin Lakes, where a small summer resort is located, are in 
the same county, ahout eleven miles to the southeast. 

The lake may be easily reached from either of the above named -towns. 
A county road passes it on the north. The township road north and 
south is interrupted by the lake. 

Judged from its appearance, it should be called a marsh. With the 
exception of perhaps two acres south of the island, it is entirely grown 
up to rushes and marsh grass. The deepest water found, was three and 
a half feet. 

The banks are low and bare. In fact, except for some differences in 
the vegetation, it is difficult to tell where. the lake leaves off, and the 
numerous sloughs surrounding it begin. 

The area at the time of the survey was 151% acres. The area within 
the meander line is 192 acres. The area of the water shed is 500 acres 
and is largely composed of slough land. 

So far as can be learned from inquiry, the place is used only occa- 
sionally as a hunting resort. A few of the smaller species of ducks 
were seen during the survey, but it did not appear that the lake was 
used to any extent as a hatching place. 

There were no fish to be seen. The shallow water, the absence of any 
stream at the outlet, and the fact that the lake goes dry at times, ac- 
count for this condition, and would render any attempt toward stocking 
it, a failure. 

The natural water supply is very limited. The lake is situated oh 
high ground, and the drainage leads away from it in all directions. The 
only artificial source of supply would be from wells. The cost of the 
wells and of pumping would prove almost prohibitive. 

The outlet leads away to the northwest to a county drainage ditch. 
A fall of twenty-six feet was found in the mile and a half between the 
lake and the ditch. There are other possible outlets to the east and to 
the south. 

The bottom of the lake is made up very largely of peat with a mix- 
ture of black silt. Under the open water, just south of the island, borings 
showed the bottom to be of clay. No sand was to be found, even along 
the shore. 

Swamp blackbirds were fairly numerous in the neighborhood, and the 
farmers complain of the damage to crops which they cause. Muskrats 
are found in small numbers and complaint is made of their undermining 
the road embankments. 

Local sentiment seems all to be in favor of drainage. A small island 
in the lake has been pre-empted by an old soldier who lives there by 
himself. This is the only spot where timber is found near the lake. 

R ecommendations . 

In the opinion of the Commission, this lake should be drained. It is 
recommended that when a district is formed for the drainage of sur- 
rounding land, the state co-operate and pay their proper proportion of 
the cost. The land should be retained by the state, until such time as 



42 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

its character as farm land is established. When thoroughly tiled, and 
subdued, it should have a value of not less than a hundred and twenty- 
five dollars an acre. 

Drainage is recommended because the conditions, which surround this 
marsh, are such as to render the cost of improving it prohibitive. 

The total cost of an outlet, including the work of replacing the 18-inch 
tile now in place in sections 14 and 15, with one large enough to carry 
the additional water, is estimated at twenty-one thousand dollars. The 
area of the lake, and its water shed is 500 acres. Fifty dollars an acre 
is estimated as a fair assessment against the lake bed, to which should 
be added thirty dollars an acre for tiling and a reasonable amount to 
cover interest charges and the work of subduing the land. Without 
other improvements, this land should at first rent at from four to five 
dollars an acre. Later, it may be worth from six to eight dollars. 

NORTH AND SOUTH TWIN LAKES, CALHOUN COUNTY. 

Lake Nos. 8 and 9. Survey made by the Civil Engineering Department, 
Ames, Iowa. Inspection made September 7, 1916. 

North Twin Lake is located in section 1 of township 88 north, range 
33 west, and sections 27, 28, 32 and 33 of township 89 north, range 32 
west. South Twin is in sections 1, 2, 11 and 12 of township 88 north, 
range 33 west. They are four miles north of Rockwell City and twenty- 
four miles west of Fort Dodge. Wall Lake is twenty-eight miles south- 
west. Storm Lake is twenty-six miles northwest. A county road skirts 
the west side of the south lake and township roads follow the east bank 
of the south lake, pass between the lakes, and follow the west bank of 
the north lake. 

Both lakes are nice open sheets of water. North Twin Lake is slightly 
the larger of the two, being possibly 2V 2 or 3 miles long and varying from 
one-quarter to three quarters of a mile in width, with the length of the lake 
running in a general northeast and southwest direction. South Twin Lake 
lies immediately southwest of North Twin Lake and is separated from it by 
a narrow strip of land, five hundred to one thousand feet wide. The south 
lake is something less than two miles long and approximately a mile wide 
at the widest place. The North Lake is' at a little higher elevation than 
the South Lake, and empties into it through a ditch some five hundred 
feet long, at the north end of which the State Fish and Game Commis- 
sioner has built a concrete dam to keep the level of the lake. A similar 
dam has been built at the South Lake over which the water will pass 
into Lake Creek, the outlet of the two lakes. 

South Lake averages five feet in depth and North Lake a little more 
than six feet. At the north and northwest shores of North Twin Lake, the 
land is very low and flat. This is also true at the east and southeast of 
South Twin Lake; at other points, the shore varies from five feet to fif- 
teen feet in height. At the time that these lakes were surveyed, that is in 
June, 1916, there was no considerable growth of vegetation in either lake. 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY C( ).\l \l ISSrON 



4:; 



The North Lake has an area of 509 acres. The meander encloses 569 
acres. The South Lake has an area of 596 acres, its meander encloses 
600 acres, and 4,310 acres of land including (lie north lake, are tributary 
to it. 

Between the two lakes, lies the Twin Lakes Hotel Summer Resort which 
draws good crowds of people on Sundays and holidays. Here are located 
facilities for bathing, and boating and the usual run of summer resort 
amusements. There are a few cottages near the south end of North Twin 
Lake and another group of some one-half dozen or more near the north- 
end. The scenery, especially around North Twin Lake, is pleasing. The 




Fig. 11— North Twin Lake, Calhoun County. This view shows the best timbered 
portion of the shore line on Twin Lakes. The shore line is good entirely around 
the lakes, but barren. The wooded portion suitable for camp sites is utterly 
inadequate to accommodate the thousands of people who throng these lakes 
during the summer months. The Fish and Game Department has built a small 
dam to maintain the present water level. 



scenery around South Twin Lake is not so attractive and that lake will 
probably never be quite so popular as the north one. 

The water supply is limited and it is to be expected that there will be 
occasional dry years when the lakes will be low. This in no way, detracts 
from the pleasure which the public will obtain from them during most 
seasons. 

Flood waters escape to the south through Lake Creek to the Coon 
River. The lake bottom is quite uniformly black slit underlain by a black 
clay soil. 



44 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

Legal Status. 

A petition for the drainage of South Twin Lake in which the custom- 
ary allegations were made, was filed with the Executive Council. At a 
meeting in November, 1906, drainage was denied, and it was ordered 
maintained as a lake. 

Local sentiment now is practically agreed that this order was wise. 
The people value the lakes and are making more and more use of them 
as time goes on. 

Recommendations. 

The Commission recommends that the lakes be retained. The state 
should purchase tracts of land fronting on each one, which should be 
thrown open to the public as parks. The estimated cost is $8,000. It is 
also, recommended that the state co-operate with local authorities in the 
construction of roads on the east side of the North Lake, at an estimated 
cost of $4,000.00. 

CLEAR LAKE, CERRO GORDO COUNTY. 

Lake No. 10. Survey made by the State Highway Commission. Inspec- 
tion made June 12th, 1916. 

Clear Lake occupies parts of Sections 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 
and 26 in township 96 north, range 22 west. It is one of the very few 
beautiful lakes of the state which is large enough to be justly popular as a 
summer resort for a large number of people. In point of size, it ranks 
third, its area being only exceeded by Spirit Lake and by West Okoboji. 

The town of Clear Lake, which has a population of 2,500, lies just to the 
east of the lake. Ventura, which has a population of 100, lies on the 
west shore. 

Both these towns are on the North McGregor-Mason City branch of 
the Milwaukee railroad. An electric line connects the town of Clear Lake 
with Mason City, twelve miles to the east. Good roads circle the lake and 
render it easy of. access from all sides. 

Geologically speaking, the lake lies right in the edge of the terminal 
moraine of the Wisconsin drift. Surounding the lake on the north, west 
and south, are the low hills and poorly drained hollows which character- 
ize the Wisconsin drift. On the east, the land drops away rapidly to the 
level prairies of the older Iowan sheet. 

Along the shores, sandy beaches and steeper rocky banks are found. 
Only on the extreme western end, and to the southeast, near the outlet, 
are any considerable areas of slo>ugh land encountered A large part ol 
the land which fronts on the lake is divided into small lots and held as 
summer homes. Cottages-, club houses and summer hotels offer shelter 
to the tourists who frequent this resort during the warmer months of 
the year. 

The water in the lake is clear and cold; deep enough to permit of the 
use of motor boats and sailing crafts and to offer safe winter quarters 
for fish. The surface level varies greatly from year to year. At present, 



Sl'UVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 45 

wiih the lake bank full, from eighteen to twenty feet of water is to be 
found in the deepest places. 

The area of the lake is about 3,643 acres. The meander encloses tin- 
same number of acres. About S.400 acres of farm land make up the 
drainage area tributary to the lake. 

Aside from Spirit Lake and the Okobojis, there are no lakes in the 
state that can at all compete in popularity with this as a summer resort. 
The facility with which Clear Lake is reached by railroad, largely aug- 
ment the crowds which gather here for the summer season. 

The outlet is to the east, through Willow Creek, to Lime Creek and 
ultimately to the Cedar River. For months at a time, during the dry 
seasons, no water passes out this way. This spring, water has cut, 
around the outlet, forming a channel twelve or fourteen feet wide. South 
of the natural outlet, on the Grimm farm, a ditch was dug forty years 
ago to permit certain swamp lands to drain into the lake. With the 
present lake level, water is flowing out of the lake through this ditch and 
flooding lands farther to the south. The total discharge, as estimated by 
rough measurements being some sixty second feet at the natural outlet 
and perhaps twelve second feet through the Grimm ditch. 

The drainage area tributary to the lake is extremely limited. Without 
doubt, a large part of the water supply must come from underground 
sources, and it follows that this supply will be diminished as the country 
to the north and west is drained. 

Mr. H. Keerl, a drainage engineer of Clear Lake, is authority for the 
statement that some 3,300 acres of land, lying south of the lake, and 
which form the upper part of a drainage district now under consideration, 
lie above the lake level and can be given an outlet into the lake. This 
land is outside of the drainage area as shown on the accompanying map, 
and would naturally find its outlet to the southeast. Such a diversion of 
this water froim its natural course, would prove of benefit both to the 
lake and to the rest of the drainage district. 

The outlet into the lake would cost more than one in the other direc- 
tion. If this difference is within reason, it would seem best that the State 
should pay the difference and secure this, water supply. 

In 1903, the county board of supervisors constructed a concrete outlet 
for the lake. This was placed a few rods south of the older outlet which 
which had been closed in 1887. It consisted of a concrete floor some 14 
feet 8 inches wide and two side walls reaching about 3 feet, above the 
floor, and extending some 22 feet along the direction flow. 
Legal Status. 

In the September term of the District Court, 1905, H. A. Merrill, The 
Mason City & Clear' Lake R. R. Co., and the Outing Club, brought an 
action asking an injunction and an order of Mandamus against the Board 
of Supervisors, C. M. Grimm and others. 

Grimm owned land in the east % of the 26 and west y 2 of 25-96-22. 
The Board of supervisors and Grimm constructed a canal across Grimm's 
land to turn drainage into Clear Lake. 



46 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OP IOWA 

In 1906, the state entered, through its Attorney General, a petition of 
Intervention. They aver that the state owns the lake, that it is her 
duty to preserve it in its original condition, that the board of supervisors 
acted without authority of law and were trespassers and intermeddlers. 
They ask that the court ascertain the original high water level and shore 
line and authorize the state to erect and maintain such sluice ways, gates 
and embankments as are necessary. 

The District Court established the high water level as the eastern end 
of the bottom of the spillway. Nothing was said in regard to the Grimm 
ditch. 

The case was appealed. The Supreme Court modified and affirmed 
the verdict of the lower court. Ordinary high water level was fixed one 
foot above the level decided upon by the District Court. A concrete wall 
one foot in height was then built across the sluice way. 

While the courts have thus established the ordinary lake level, they 
have in no way, determined the size of outlet necessary. The spillway at 
Storm Lake, which has a watershed but little larger than that of Clear 
Lake, is seventy-two feet long. That of Clear Lake is fifteen feet long. 

It appears reasonable that a spillway should be made large enough so 
that it will neither back the water up to a level higher than that reached 
by occasional floods before its installation nor retard the escape of the 
water long enough to kill crops on land that is flooded. 

In the case at Clear Lake, the storage capacity on the lake and the 
slough to the west is large as compared to the drainage area, and will 
take care of any ordinary rain. The small spillway will discharge this 
stored water very slowly. The land covered by such storage will be under 
water so long as to be badly damaged. There is also the danger that a 
heavy rain may come at a time when the lake is high and no storage 
space available. In that case, not only the spillway but the highway cul- 
vert just below, which has a carrying capacity about equal to the spill- 
way, will be washed out. 

The Commercial Club of Clear Lake is anxious that a driveway be fur- 
nished around the lake, skirting the shore line. As will be seen from the 
map accompanying this report, this will necessitate the construction of 
about two miles of new road along the south shore, and extensive repairs 
to parts of the existing roads which have been damaged by water. Con- 
siderable opposition to this plan has developed among the property owners, 
who will be affected. 

The plan for the road is entirely practical. It does not appear, how- 
ever, that the state will be the party most benefited by its construction. 
If the state, the property owners, and the county can reach some equitable 
plan of dividing the costs, the plan is to be commended as one which will 
add greatly to the value of the lake to the stale. 

Recommendations . 

The Commission recommends that a suitable spillway be built at the 
outlet, the estimated cost to be $3,000; and that the proper authority be 
granted to secure the additional water supply before mentioned, and to 
co-operate with the Clear Lake Commercial Club in obtaining options on a 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 47 

right of way for the south road. The cost of the additional water supply 
should not exceed $5,000.00. Land for a state park fronting on the lake 
should be purchased at an estimated cost of $8,000.00. 

TRUMBULL AND ROUND LAKES, CLAY COUNTY. 

Lakes Xos. 11 and 12. Survey made by order of the Executive Count il. 
Inspection made August 9th, 19J6. 

Trumbull and Round Lakes occupy partsi of section 3, township 96 
north, range 35 west, and sections 22, 23, 26, 27, 34 and 35 of township 97 
north, range 35 west. They are situated ten miles northeast of Spencer 
and six miles northwest of Ruthven; both towns on the C. M. & St. P. Ry. 
One township road passes between the two lakes, and a second one leads 
in to the lake shore from the east. Lost Island Lake is two miles to the 
east, and Okoboji, twenty-two miles to the northwest of these two lakes. 

Trumbull Lake is a clear open body of water, Ifive feet in depth, which 
extends for more than two miles north and south, and varies from a half 
to nearly a mile in width. The beeches are covered with gravel; the 
banks are well defined, and in many places covered with native timber. 
On the east side is a long slough which has about the same elevation of 
water surface, is perhaps two feet in depth and drains into the lake. On 
the southwest, there is a small area of slough. With these two exceptions, 
the land around the lake is high and fairly well drained. 

Round Lake formerly was a part of Trumbull Lake, but now is con- 
sidered a separate lake. It is connected to Trumbull Lake by a small 
creek which passes through the slough southwest of Trumbull. The banks 
are sharp and fringed with timber. 

The lake itself is shallow and three-quarters of its surface is covered 
with rushes. 

Trumbull Lake has an area of 1,190 acres; Round Lake an area of 
450 acres. 

No pleasure resorts are located on these lakes. In fact, the lakes are 
not particularly attractive to the class of people usually found at such 
places. They make their appeal to the sportsmen. The shooting is good; 
the outlying sloughs and sheltered bays afford both shelter and feeding 
places for wild fowl. Several hunting shacks, and boats are ifound along 
the shores, and hundreds of hunters visit the vicinity every year. 

Fishing has always been considered good, and many big pickerel as 
well as quantities of smaller fish are taken, during the season. 

In the matter of a natural water supply, these two lakes are more 
fortunate than most of the lakes examined. A total of some 48,000 acres 
of territory is tributory to them. The largest source of supply is from 
a large drainage ditch which enters the lake from the north. This brings 
the water from some 30,000 acres of land. People living in this district 
are satisfied with their outlet as it is. 

The second largest source of supply is from the east from what is 
known as Mud Lake. This lake which has an area of 560 acres, is in 
reality, a slough about two feet in depth, and almost entirely grown up 



48 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

to rushes. The water shed has an area of 15,800 acres. The remainder 
of the drainage area is a rather narrow strip of land around the two lakes 
which drains directly into them. 

The outlet /for the two lakes is on the west side of Trumbull Lake in 
section 27. From here a creek leads away to the southwest and at a dis- 
tance of perhaps seven miles, unites with the outlet of Lost Island Lake. 
What at one time was an outlet to Round Lake is found on its west shore. 
This low point is above the present water level of the lake. There is no 
channel leading away but two low sloughs mark the path that flood waters 
must have taken in former times. 

The bottom of Trumbull Lake is hard, in the main body of the lake, 
and considering the depth of water, it seems remarkable that rushes have 
never gained a foothold. In the bays, there are deposits of silt and rusnea 
and other water plants grow luxuriantly. Round Lake has a bottom of 
silt and decayed vegetable matter. 

The question of the damage caused by black birds in this vicinity is 
discussed in detail in the report of the Farm Crops Department. 
Legal Status. 

Originally, these two lakes were meandered as one. In 1900, the Depart- 
ment of the Interior meandered the two bodies of water as separate 
lakes, and declared the first survey fraudulent. At about the same time, 
they cut off large tracts of land on the north and south off Lost Island 
Lake, which before had been included in the meander. This land was 
disposed of. A large part of it was low, wet land. 

In April, 1914, application was made to the Executive Council for per- 
mission to drain Trumbull and Round Lakes. A survey and report were 
made as required by law. A hearing was had in November of the same 
year. Various remonstrances were received and placed on file. The 
Governor then appointed Seth Dean of Glenwood as Engineer to report 
on the feasibility olfl adequately draining, at a reasonable cost, the low 
land to the east which drains through Trumbull Lake. 

He reported on April 21st, 1915, that it is possible to locate a ditch 
from the bridge at the outlet of Mud Lake in Section 26, which will pass 
around the southern end of Trumbull and Round Lakes, through sec- 
tions 35, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 17 to a junction with the present outlet about half 
a mile east of Dickens. In this distance, about six miles, there is a fall 
of about thirty-two feet. The deepest cut through the divide in Section 4 
will be twenty feet, the average cut, fourteen feet. 
Special Problem. 

The outlet ditch proposed by Mr. Dean passes very close to both the lakes. 
The soil is sandy and precautions will have to be taken to guard against 
undue seepage from the lake to the ditch if it is constructed. With the 
idea of keeping away from the lakes, a trial line for an outlet ditch was 
run by the Commission, through Sections 35, 2, 1, 12, 11, 14, 15, 21 and 
20. This line crosses the divide in the northwest quarter of section 2, anu 
from there, follows down the outlet of Lost Island Lake. The divide is 
higher than on the other route and would necessitate a maximum cut off 
twenty-seven feet, but the average cut is only fourteen as on the other 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 4!> 

route. It will be entirely practical to carry large tile through this divide 
and to const nut the rest of the drain as an open ditch. 

This plan has the advantage of draining a large amounl of wet land 
along Lost Island outlet and so spreading the cost oi construction over 
a large acreage. 

The Commission is of the opinion that the low land east of Trumbull 
and Round Lake can be drained at a cost which is not prohibitive even 
if this has to be done by pumping. Much of the land is almost useless at 
present and if made into good farm lands by drainage, will be enormously 
increased in value. 

Recommendations. 

The Commission recommends that both lakes be retained and that a 
dam be built at the outlet which will prevent erosion and allow the land 
along the outlet to be drained. The estimated cost is $2,000. It is recom- 
mended further that land for a state park be purchased on the shore of 
Trumbull Lake at an estimated cost of about $3,500.00. 

DAN GREEN'S SLOUGH, CLAY COUNTY. 

Lake Xo. 13. Survey made by State Highivay Commission. Inspection 
made August 9th, 1916. 

Dan Green's Slough is a long narrow lake extending across Sections 
8, 9, 16, 17 and 20 in township 97 north, range 35 west. It is situated 
about eleven miles northeast of Spencer and is most easily reached by 
driving from there or from Dickens on the C. M. & St. P. Ry. Trumbull 
Lake lies about two miles to the east, and the outlet of the slough, after 
following a tortuous course through low wet ground ifor a distance of 
perhaps three miles, joins the outlet to the lake and so drains away to 
the Sioux River. 

The banks of the slough are rather well marked and high on the east 
side. On the west side, they are lower and open back to small areas of low 
lying ground. There is no natural timber to be seen in the vicinity and 
the shores are either under cultivation or in use as pasture land. Nearly 
the entire area of the slough is grown up to water grass and rushes, with 
here and there a muskrat house to break the monotony. The water is 
very shallow. 

The area, as found from the survey, is 285 acres, 2,753 acres of farm 
land form the drainage area. 

Such a lake asi this has only one use, as a hunting reserve. If it were 
not for the fact that nearly all the land around it has good tile outlets, 
it would have been drained long ago. .The bottom is oif black silt and 
decaying vegetable matter, which should make as good agricultural land 
as any of the surrounding property. 

Two east and west roads touch the lake. The southern road makes a 
detour to the south and crosses the outlet on an embankment. The north- 
ern road swings a half mile north and passes the upper end. 



50 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

Recommendations . 

In the opinion of the Commission, this lake should be retained. It is 
suggested that the highway embankment across the south end could be 
improved by widening it and raising the grade. Aside from this, nothing 
is recommended in the way of improvements. 

ELK LAKE, CLAY COUNTY. 

Lake No. 14. Survey made by State Highway Commission. Inspec- 
tion made August 9, 1916. 

Elk Lake is one of the smaller lakes which dot the north central part 
of the state. It occupies parts of section 1, township 95 north, range 35 
west, and section 36, township 96 north, range 35 west. Lost Island Lake 
is six miles northeast, Silver Lake four miles southeast. It is easily 
reached by road from the towns Ruthven or Dickins which are located on 
the C. M. & St. P. Ry. Good roads skirt both the east and west shores. 

This is one of the naturally, very attractive little lakes, which because 
of its location near the larger lakes is overshadowed by them, and is 
scarcely known outside ojf its immediate vicinity. The banks are gently 
sloping pasture land with occasional groves or scattered trees. The water 
is open, free from any excesfei of vegetation and from four to six feet 
deep. Two large sloughs drain into the lake from the south, and a 
smaller one drains in from the northeast. The land surrounding these 
sloughs has been pretty well tiled. Many of these tile outlet at about 
the present lake level. Any attempt to raise the water level would be 
opposed for this reason. Two hundred sixty-one acres are covered by the 
lake at its present level. The watershed is composed of 2,048 acres of 
farm land. So far as can be learned, the lake is used only by people resid- 
ing in the immediate vicinity for either hunting or fishing purposes. There 
are no resorts or shooting lodges. The ordinary fish are to be caught, but 
the lake is scarcely deep enough to warrant its being stocked. As a 
whole the water supply is fairly satisfactory. During extremely dry 
periods the lake will get low, but under ordinary conditions, it will be 
maintained at a good stage of water. 

The outlet is toward the north, through a narrow creek, to the ditch 
which drains Elbow Lake. The soil around the outlet is firm, and does 
not appear to be cutting at all. 

Local sentiment is in favor of keeping this lake in its present condi- 
tion. There are no serious complaints made of damage done by black- 
birds or of annoyance caused by mosquitoes. Old residents report the 
lake as formerly much deeper. This is borne out by borings in the lake 
bottom, which show deep deposits of soft black slit. In time to come it 
seems probable that this accumulation of silt will have to be removed. 

Recommendations. 

The Commission recommends that at present this lake be left as it is. 
A park fronting on the water 'should be purchased so as to make the lake 
available to the public and a grove set out. Thirty-five hundred dollars 
is the estimated cost of this improvement. 



SURVEY OF 1 1 IC 1 1 WAY COMMISSION 51 

SILVER LAKE, DELAWARE COUNTY. 

Lajce No. i'i. Survey made by State Highway Commission. Inspection 
made September '.'. n>iG. 

Silver Lake occupies portions of sections 16, 20 and 21 of township 88 
north, range 4 west. It is situated just southeast of Delhi, a town of per 
haps five hundred population, on the C. M. & St. P. Ry. Except for the 
Mississippi River lakes in Allamakee County this is the only lake in 
north eastern Iowa. 

A county road leading east from town passes just north of the lake, and 
a township road south crosses the outlet. 

The banks are well defined, grass covered slopes. On both the east 
and west banks there are natural groves. 

Part of the lake is open water from four to seven feet in depth. Per- 
haps one quarter of the surface is grown up to rushes. Near the outlet 
eighteen feet of water were found. No large tracts of low land are de- 
pendent on the lake for drainage. 

The area at the time of survey was 32 acres. The area inside the gov- 
ernment meander line is 45 acres. The water shed is composed of 410 
acres. 

As a fishing place and picnic grounds, the lake and its surroundings 
are valued by the local people. Nearly all the ice for the town supply is 
cut here during the winter months. 

The water shed is small and during dry years the lake gets rather low. 
It is reported to have gone entirely dry fifteen years ago, so that even the 
springs which are purported to feed it, were not in evidence. 

The outlet is through a deep ravine to the south west to the Maquoketa 
River. A highway embankment has been thrown across this ravine, but 
the foundations are not good. Water from the lake continually seeps 
through and trickles off down the ravine. 

Just to the north of this embankment, the lake is nearly eighteen feet 
deep. Mr. Thomas Simpson, Sr., an old resident, is authority for the 
statement that many years ago this embankment was blown out and 
that the escaping water cut the ravine to its present dimensions. This 
would account for the deep hole to the north. 

In the northern part the lake bottom is of silt and decaying vegetation 
which overlies a sandy clay. Near the highway embankment on the 
southwest sand predominates. 

Local sentiment is very much in favor of retaining the lake. The time 
will undoubtedly come when the people of Delhi will co-operate with the 
State in some such way as have the citizens of Emmetsburg, to make this 
lake a city park. 

Considerable water might be saved by driving a tight line of steel sheet 
piling across the ravine which is about two hundred feet wide at water 
level, or by blanketing the north side of the embankment and the adjacent 
lake bottom with, a heavy clay. 

Before such improvements are undertaken, more and deeper borings- 
should be made than were possible with the apparatus carried by the sur- 
vey parties. 



52 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

An outlet culvert of ample size should be built that will care for flood 
water and prevent the cutting of a new outlet farther to the northwest. 

Recommendations. 

The Commission recommends that the lake be retained and that a tract 
of land fronting on the lake be purchased ifor a public park. The estimated 
cost is placed at $4,000. 

SPIRIT LAKE, DICKINSON COUNTY. 

Lake No. 16. Survey made by the State Highway .Commission. Inspec- 
tion made August 1th, 1916. 

Spirit Lake occupies parts of Sections 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 
20, 21, 22, 27, 28 and 29 of township 100 north, range 36 west. It 
has something the shape of a great pear; the broad end extends for 
more than three miles along the Minnesota, state line, the narrow enc 
reaches down about four miles into Iowa. The City of Spirit Lake, on 
the C. M. & St. P. Ry., is more than a mile south of the lake. Or- 
leans on the C. R. I. & P. Ry. is on the southern shore of the lake. 
The north end of East Okoboji nearly touches it on the south. West 
Okoboji is about six miles to the southwest. 

Township roads parallel the banks on all sides, so that nearly all 
parts of its shores are easily reached by team. 

The water is clear, open, and from twenty to twenty-five feet in 
depth. The banks are well defined but not so high as those of East 
and West Okoboji. Pleasant groves of native timber are scattered 
along its shores. 

Around the southern half of the lake, there is very little low wet 
land. On the northeast, are two large sloughs," one of which is mean- 
dered as a part of the lake. On the north side two sloughs, one of 
which is the inlet from Loon Lake, are both enclosed by the meander 
line. To the northwest, three smaller lakes drain into Spirit Lake, but 
are meandered as separate bodies of water. 

Spirit Lake has an area of 5,660 acres. The meander encloses 5,684 
acres. 

The Orleans, West Side, Crandall's Ledge and Templar Park are the 
largest and best known of the summer resorts at this lake. Innumer- 
able private cottages offer shelter to those who prefer a more quiet 
outing and more privacy than is to be found at the large hotels. 

Probably more fish are caught here than at any other lake in the 
state. Natural conditions are very favorable for their propagation and 
the place is a favorite one with fishermen from this and the surround- 
ing states. 

Hunting is also considered good, and the many outlying sloughs fur- 
nish feeding grounds and shelter for water fowls of all kinds. 

The city of Spirit Lake draws its municipal water supply from this 
source. Doubts are often expressed as to the adequacy of the lake's 
water supply, but these fears do not seem to be well founded. The 
lake is subject to marked changes in level. No actual measurements 



sruVKY OF HIGHWAY ( OM mission :,:: 

were to be had but people who are very familiar wilh conditions, re- 
port that some years the water level may be four feet higher than at 
other times. This difference is due to a peculiar condition which exists 
at the outlet. 

Spirit Lake drains into East Okoboji, through a narrow creek at 
Orleans. At normal stage, there is a difference of about four i'eet in 
the levels of the two lakes. Gravel is pushed into the mouth of this 
creek by wind and by ice, and gradually seals it up. The lake ri&es, 
but keeps on piling in sand and gravel. Sometimes three or four 
years may elapse before a sudden freshet raises the lake enough to 
Over-top and cut away the dam. Then the water drains out until 
weather conditions become right to repeat the process. 

Such large changes in level as now occur, may be prevented by the 
periodic removal of the gravel deposits north of the outlet with or 
without the installation of some kind of regulating gates. 

The question of locks to permit of the passage of boats between 
Spirit Lake and Okoboji, has often been brought up. The Rock Island 
railroad crosses the outlet at an elevation which will allow ordinary 
launches to pass underneath it. The highway which parallels the rail- 
road will have to be raised to provide head room. 

Estimates based on the number of boats which will pass through the 
locks, show that Spirit Lake will be lowered less than two inches in 
supplying all the water required for lockage during a season. 

The outlets of the sloughs east of the lake, as well as that from 
Hottes Lake on the west, are shallow. In the spring when the water 
is high, fish go out into these sheltered waters to spawn. Later in u 
year, when the water is low, the fish cannot get out into the deeper 
waters of the lake. ' Thousands of young fish perish every winter in 
these places. This situation will he much improved if deep channels 
are cut from the lake into these sloughs so as to allow fish to pass in 
and out at all times. 

Recommendations. 

The Commission recommends that channels be cut into the two 
sloughs east of the lake, that regulating gates and a lock large enough 
to pass launches, be built between Spirit Lake and East Okoboji, and 
that sufficient land for a state park be purchased, fronting on the lake. 

The estimated cost of the two channels including a highway bridge, 
is $2,500.00. The estimated cost of the locks is $15,000.00. The es- 
timated cost of the park is $8,000.00 

EAST OKOBOJI LAKE, DICKINSON COUNTY. 

Lake A"o. 11. Survey made by State Highway Commission. Inspec- 
tion made August 7th, 1!)1G. 

East Okoboji is located in sections 3, 4, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 
29 and 32 of township 99 north, range 36 west, and sections 33 and 34 
of township 100 north, range 36 west. 



54 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



Spirit Lake, Arnold's Park and Okoboji on the C. M. & St. P. Ry., 
each provide easy access to different parts of the lake. Township and 
private roads approach its shores at different points, and boat liveries 
from the different resorts make it easy to reach and enjoy the whole 
of its long shore line. During the summer season, a line of steam 
boats traverse the lake from end to end. 

The area as shown by the survey is 1,875 acres. The government 
meander, with one or two minor exceptions, follows its shores with 
striking fidelity. The water shed, including Spirit Lake, Little Spirit, 
Marble, Hottes and West Okoboji, is 84,5.00 acres. 

In shape, the lake is long, narrow and irregular. Including the Gar 
Lakes, which were meandered as a part of this lake, it extends for 
seven miles in a north and south direction, and a trifle more than 
three miles east and west. 

A maximum depth of twenty-four feet was found in the southern 
end and eight feet in the northern part. At two places, the Narrows 




Fig. 12 — EJast Okoboji, Dickinson County. This is one of the few well known lake 
resorts of Iowa.- It is visited by thousands of people every season. A state 
fish and game hatchery is located here where fish are hatched and later dis- 
tributed to the other lakes of the state. 



and at Spirit Lake, the water shoals to four feet or less, and at low 
stages, a channel is only kept open by continual use. 

The banks are uniformly high, in many places timbered, and rise 
from gravel beaches. Practically no low or wet land is found along 
its margin. 

East Okoboji, together with the other lakes in its immediate vicin- 
ity, form the heart of the lake region of Iowa. There are not nearly 
so many summer cottages on its banks as on those of its neighbors; 
nevertheless, it forms an indispensable part of the whole. Its waters 
are well stocked with fish, and during the open season, good catches 
are made. During the winter large quantities of ice are cut and packed 
for home consumption. 



SURVEY OK IIIOHWAY COMMISSION 



55 



This lake forms the outlel for Spirit Lake, Little Spirit, Marble, 
Hottes and Loon Lake, as well as West Okobojl. Its supply of water, 
therefore, is much more regular and satisfactory than is that of the 
other lakes. The water level varies perhaps three feet between dry- 
years and those of heavy rainfall. 

The outlet is from the southern end of the lower Gar Lake, to the 
Little Sioux River, of which these lakes are the source. A low dam 
has been built by the state at the outlet and aids in controlling the 
water level. It has suffered the usual vicissitudes to which such a 
structure is subjected, and has twice been dynamited by people who 
were dissatisfied with the level at which it held the lake. 

Recommendations. 

There is no question about the advisability of keeping this lake. The 
Commission recommends that the state excavate and maintain at the 





- JB 
4fc. fflb 




"' iKi'l 


I 


Ml 



Fig. 13 — East Okoboji, Dickinson County. There is a popular demand for a lock 
connecting East Okoboji to Spirit Lake. This would render the entire shore 
line of the three lakes, East and West Okoboji and Spirit Lake, accessible to 
launches. 



two shallow places before mentioned, channels which will provide six 
feet of water at low stage. The original cost of doing this work should 
not exceed $10,000. There is no data upon which to base an estimate 
of the rate at which silt is being deposited in these places, neither is it 
possible to predict what effect these dredging operations may have 
upon this rate. It is safe to say, however, that these channels will 
have to be cleaned out from time to time. 

The State should purchase land enough for a good sized park, some- 
where along the shore, and open it for the use of the people. The es- 
timated cost is placed at $8,000.00. 



56 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

WEST OKOBOJI LAKE, DICKINSON COUNTY. 

Lake No. 18. Survey made ly the Civil Engineering Department, Ames, 
Iowa. Inspection made August 7th, 1916. 

West Okoboji is located in sections 19, 30, and 31 of township 99 north, 
range 36 west and sections 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 2i5, 26, 35 and 36 of 
township 99 north, range 37 west. It is most easily reached from Arnold's 
Park, or Okoboji on the C. M. & St. P. Ry., or by driving from Spirit Lake. 
County roads, touch it on the north, east and south; township roads 
approach it on the west. 

The lake is nearly six miles in length, from north to south, and aver- 
ages perhaps a mile in width. Three deep bays indent the east and west 
shores. The country around the lake is broken, and many smaller lakes 
and undrained ponds lie scattered among low hills'. As a general thing, 
the banks of the lake are high, and in many places, wooded, though there 
are several exceptions. On the north, south and west sides, isolated areas 
of low, wet land extend back from the lake shores proper. 

This is the deepest of the lakes. One hundred and thirty-two feet of 
water was the greatest depth measured. The bottom in the southern end 
is very irregular. The water is remarkably clear, and the most severe 
storms only ruffle its surface. 

The area of the lake is 3,788 acres. The government meander, with 
one or two unimportant exceptions, fits the lake shore closely. It en- 
closes 3,939 acres. 

Summer colonies, too numerous to mention by name, are scattered all 
around the shores. Without question, this is rightly, the most popular of 
Iowa's lakes. Pishing is reported as good, and large strings of all 
varieties' are taken. 

No large streams feed West Okoboji. The drainage from Center Lake 
and the sloughs to the north of it, constitute the largest visible supply. 
The lake always maintains a satisfactory level, though this of course, 
varies somewhat with the rainfall. The outlet is from Smith's Bay on the 
east side, into East Okoboji. 

There is no question as to the preservation of this lake; it can't be 
drained. In the interests of fish culture, it is suggested that the State 
would do well to purchase the sloughs both on the north and south, and 
connect them to the lake with deep channels. This would provide safe 
spawning grounds, which the lake lacks at present. 

Recommendations. 

The Commission recommends the purchase by the State of a public park, 
on the lake shore, and estimate the cost at $12,000.00. 

CENTER LAKE, DICKINSON COUNTY. 

Lake No. 19. Survey made by the Fish and Game Department. Inspec- 
tion made August ?', 1916. 

Center Lake occupies portions of sections 5, 6, 7, and 8 in township 99 
north, range 36 west. It lies about two miles west of the town of Spirit 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 57 

Lake, and is nearly surrounded by Easl and West Okoboji. County roads 
approach it closely on the north and on the east. On the south and west, 
township roads are within half a mile of its borders. 

This is an unusually attractive body of water. The central part is 
very deep and clear. There are very few rushes to be found, and these are 
all in a small bay on the north side. In most all respects, Center is a close 
rival to the other lakes around it. 

The banks are well defined and in most cases, very abrupt. They are 
fringed with natural timber which, in many places, widens into large 
(lean groves. One small slough to the south is connected to the lake. At 
the time of the survey, nearly a foot of water was standing over this 
area. 

The lake has an area of 264 acres. The meander encloses 329 acres. 
The water shed has an area of 883 acres. 

Center Lake affords good hunting and fishing. It is used for camp- 
ing and is very favorably known as a pleasure resort. Fluctuations of the 
water level during wet and dry seasons are rather small, and it is always 
in the miost excellent condition. The water has not flowed from the outlet 
in a number of years. It cannot be drained by ditching as the bottom is 
only four feet above the level o'f Lake Okoboji, its natural outlet. 

As in most Iowa Lakes, the bed is filled to a considerable depth, with 
black alluvial soil. The beach, however, is generally covered with gravel 
or boulders. 

Recommendations. 

Unquestionably, this lake should be retained. The only expenditures 
which it seems advisable to make at present, should be made in the pur- 
chase of land for a park, and for a road leading in from the highway. 

Land in this vicinity is worth $150.00 to $200.00. an acre. Five thousand 
dollars should purchase a tract such as is required to give the public- 
entrance to the lake. 

SILVER LAKE, DICKINSON COUNTY. 

Lake No. 20. Survey made by the Fish and Game Department. Inspec- 
tion made September 28, 1916. 

Silver Lake occupies parts of sections 27, 28, 29, 32, 33 and 34, town- 
ship 100 north, range 38 west. It is just south of the town of Lake Park 
on the C. R. I. & P. Ry. West Okoboji is nine miles east, Rush Lake in 
Osceola County, ilg seven miles west. A county road touches the lake on 
the south and a township road on the west end. 

The banks on the north, west and east are high and fringed with oak 
timber which in places, widens out into thick groves. Several sandy 
beaches suitable for bathing places, are 'found along the shores. 

Most of the water is open, free from rushes and suitable for boating. 
At the time of the survey, there was no sign of vegetation in the lake out 
local parties state that in the late summer, some portions are badly in- 
fested by sub-aquatic plants. A depth of water varying from five to 
seven feet was found. 



58 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

The area of the lake is 1,096 acres. The meander encloses! 1,058 acres. 
The water shed is composed of 16,550 acres, 480 of which are in Minne- 
sota. 

On the east shore near the outlet, the city of Lake Park has set apart 




Fig. 14 — Silver Lake, Dickinson County. Silver Lake is a very pretty body of 
open clear water, of good depth, almost two square miles in extent. The city of 
Lake View has bought and improved a city park on the lake front. 

a place for a park and by trimming the trees and cutting away the under 
brush, have made a beautiful place for picnics and camping. Silver Lake 
itself is not regarded as particularly good from the hunters' standpoint, 
because of the lack of cover. In the small swamps to the south and west 




Fig. IS— Silver Lake, Dickinson County. This photograph shows the concrete dam 
which has been put in at the outlet of the lake to raise the water level. Dams 
of this nature could be built to advantage at many of the state lakes. 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 59 

however, ducks are found to be quite numerous and as a general thing a 
few nest there. The fishing in Silver Lake is not the best. In fact, it is 
only used for that purpose by a few of the local parties. It has never 
been stocked. 

The only land that is deprived of drainage by retaining it in its 
present condition is that in the swamps to the south and west. The lake 
will have to be lowered a number of feet to afford these ponds proper 
drainage. 

On the north side, a stream of fairly good size, and with a large drain- 
age area, enters the lake. On the south side, back a short distance from 
the lake, there are several springs and a flowing well, all of considerable 
size. The variation of water level in the lake is about two to three feet. 

The lake has been raised in the last year by means of a dam across 
the outlet. We have been informed that about seven inches have been 
taken off of the dam since the time of the survey. The reason for this 
was that the people owning land abutting the lake claimed the water was 
washing the banks away. 

Drainage from Silver Lake goes to the west branch of the Sioux River. 

A thick black silt was found spread out over most of the bottom. At 
places, there is sand and gravel. 
Recommendations. 

The Commission is of. the opinion that this lake should be held at its 
present level. They recommend that the state purchase land, fronting on 
the lake, for a public park. The cost is estimated at $4,000.00. 

DIAMOND LAKE, DICKINSON COUNTY. 

Lake Xo. .?/. Survey made by Fish and Game Department. Inspection 
made September 28, 1916. 

Diamond Lake occupies parts of sections 10, 11, 14 and 15, of town- 
ship 100 north, range 37 west. It is eight miles northwest of the city 
of Spirit Lake. 

Because of its location, so near to the large lakes, Diamond Lake is very 
little known or valued. It is a beautiful- little body of water, from four 
to six feet deep, and almost entirely free frolm rushes. The shores are 
well defined, and on the south and east, fringed with natural timber. On 
the north, two grass covered sloughs are separated 'from the lake only by 
narrow ice formed ridges. One of these is enclosed by the meander; the 
other not. 

The area of the main body of the lake was found to be 111 acres. 
The meander enclosed 166 acres. The water shed contains 1,949 acres 
of land. 

Hunting has always been considered good here. The fishing has been 
injured to some extent by the carp and other fish of their nature that have 
entered it the last few years. 

One small stream feeds it from the north, and a tile drain enters •from 
the south. The water supply appears to be satisfactory. Residents of the 
neighborhood report a variation of a foot in level, due to wet or dry 
seasons. 



60 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



The outlet is to the south through an intermittent creek to the Sioux 
River. A project is now under way, looking toward the drainage of this 
creek bottom. This will necessitate the building of a dam at the outlet. 
There is no demand for the drainage of the lake itself. 

The bottom was found to consist of silt. Considerable sand and gravel 
is visible along the shore. 

All of the surrounding land is held by one man, and he would like to 
see the lake kept as it is o>r raised a foot or two higher. 

Recommendations . 

In the opinion of the Commission, this lake should be reserved. A dam 




Fig. 16— Diamond Lake, Dickinson County. Diamond Lake is an open body of 
water covering about one-quarter square mile. The shore line is partly wooded. 
The land around the lake is all owned by private parties and there is no means of 
access except over private property. Private parties who own the outlet to this 
lake want to drain their land, which would necessitate, the construction of a dam 
to maintain the water level. 

costing $700.00 should be built at the outlet. Enough land for a park 
should be purchased on the lake shore, and trees planted. A road should 
be built connecting this to the public highway. The estimated cost of 
these improvements is $5,000.00. 



WELCH LAKE, DICKINSON COUNTY. 

Lake No. 22. Survey made by the State Fish and Game Department. 
Inspection made September 28, 1916. 

Welch Lake is situated in sections 23, 24, 25 and 26, township 100 north, 
range 37 west. It. is three miles west of Spirit Lake and about the same 
distance north of West Okoboji, into which it drains'. 

This is a beautiful little lake with high banks timbered on the east; 
gravel shores and clear open water from five to six feet deep. There is 
practically no low land around its shores. 

The area is 57 acres. The meander encloses 75 acres. The water shed 
has an area of 375 acres. Very little hunting is done in this neighbor- 
hood because of the lack of cover. The fishing is only fair. 



SURVEY OF II K! II WAV COMMISSION 



61 



The water shed is small and it seems possible thai a part of the water 
supply comes from springs'. The outlet is through a 16-inch pipe under 
the road on the south side of the lake. No water was running out at 
the time of the examination. There is a fall of seventeen feet from the 
lake to the Rock Island Railroad, in a distance of a mile and three-tenths. 

The bottom is of silt, beneath which is blue clay. No demand was 




Fig. 17 — Welch Lake, Dickinson County. This is a very beautiful little body of 
open clear water, fifty-seven acres in extent. The shores are wooded. The 
highway skirts the south shore of the lake. The wooded shore lines are not avail- 
able to picnickers except on private property. 

found for drainage, and few, if any, complaints were heard regarding any 
nuisance arising from the lake. 

Recommendations. 

The Commission recommends that the lake be retained in its present 
condition. 



HOTTES AND MARBLE (MARRIE) LAKES, DICKINSON CO. 

Lake Nos. 23 and 21/. Survey made by the State Fish and Game De- 
partment. Inspection made August 7, .1916. 

These two lakes, which are in reality, outlying parts of Spirit Lake, 
although meandered separately, occupy parts of sections 7, 8, 17, 18 
and 19 in township 100 north, range 36 west. They are located just 
west of the big lake, separated from it only by the width of a roadway, 
and drains into it. 

.Around them, are timbered hills, and they have high, well defined 
banks. The water varies from five to seven feet in depth, and is open 
and clear in the main bodies. Several shallow bays are grown up to 
rushes and other water plants. 

The area of Marble Lake is 175 acres; that of Hottes, 312 acres. 
The meander of Marble Lake seems to be somewhat in error. A total 
of 4,936 acres of land, of which 4,472 are in Iowa, drain into the two 
lakes. 

These bodies of water should be considered in connection with the 



62 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OP IOWA 

big lake. They are a little more secluded, and for that reason, furnish 
better hunting than is to be found on its more open water. 

Their drainage area is relatively large, and there is no record of 
their ever having gone dry. The bottoms are of sand and gravel, over 
which in places, layers of silt are found. The outlet which passes 
under the road is shallow, and when the lakes are low, goes dry. It 
is desirable that this channel be deepened so that boats may pass back 
and forth, and so that at all seasons of the year, fish may go in and 
out. These lakes, as well as the sloughs on the east side of Spiriv 
Lake, may be made into natural fish hatcheries at very little expense. 
Recommendations 

The Commission recommends that these lakes be retained ana mat 
the outlet be deepened. The estimated cost of this work, including a 
highway bridge, is $2,400.00. 

4 
LITTLE SPIRIT LAKE, DICKINSON COUNTY. 

Lake No. 25. Survey made by the State Fish and Game Department. 
Inspection made August 7, 1916. 

Little Spirit occupies parts of sections 7 and 8, township 100 north, 
range 36 west, in Iowa, and 27, 28, 33 and 34 in township 101 north, 
range 36 west in Minnesota. It is most easily reached by driving north 
from Spirit Lake. The road passes along a narrow causeway between 
Big and Little Spirit Lakes. 

This is a very irregular sheet of clear open water from eight to 
twelve feet deep. The banks for the greatest part of their length are 
high and in many places, covered with timber. There are several gravel 
covered beaches along the shores. 

One large pond on the Minnesota side of the line is at the same 
level as the lake and cannot be drained without lowering the lake. 

The area as found by our survey, is 724 acres of which 214 acres 
are in Iowa. The water shed has an area of 2,462 acres. As will 
be seen by referring to the map, the meander line does not follow the 
shore line very closely on the Iowa side. 

While Little Spirit is used only for hunting and fishing at present, 
there seems to be no reason why it may not become just as popular 
as the other lakes in this region. The lake itself does not offer very 
much cover for wild fowl, but the pond to the northeast affords ex- 
cellent shelter and feeding grounds, and many ducks nest there. 

Fishing is considered as very good, and some very nice catches 
are made here every season. The Minnesota fish laws do not afford the 
same protection to fish as do those of Iowa. This lake is directly 
connected with Spirit Lake and receives the benefit of all the work 
which this state does in restocking. 

Most of the lake bottom is of sand, but in some places, a mud bottom 
is found supporting a growth of wild celery and other aquatic plants. 

No streams of any size supply water to Little Spirit. One line of 
sixteen-inch tile enters it from the northwest. Residents in this vicin- 



SURVEY OF 1 1 IC 11 WAV COMMISSION 63 

ity report variation of the water level of three feet between wet years 
and dry. 

The outlet is about half a mile south of the Iowa-Minnesota line. 
The highway at this point follows the very narrow dividing ridge be- 
tween Big and Little Spirit Lakes. A sixteen-foot wooden bridge spans 
the outlet. 

People who have lived here for years, say that they have no reason 
to complain either of the blackbirds or mosquitoes. 

I Jeooinineiidations 

The Commission recommends that a permanent concrete culvert 
should be built at the outlet. The cost is estimated at $1,900.00. 
They also recommend that land be purchased for a public park front- 
ing on the lake. The cost of this is estimated at $3,000.00. 

SWAN LAKE, DICKINSON COUNTY. 

Lake Xo. 26. Survey made by the State Fish and Game Department. 
Inspection made August 5, 1916. 

Swan Lake is located in Sections 22, 23, 26 and 27, township 100 
north, range 35 west. It is nine miles northeast of Spirit Lake and 
ten miles northwest of Estherville. Superior is the nearest railroad 
point. A county road crosses the middle of the lake on a fifty foot 
concrete bridge, and divides it into two parts which are quite different. 

West of the road is a circular depression overgrown with rushes and 
other forms of water plants. The banks are low and bare. One thirty- 
six inch tile and two or three small ditches outlet into this basin 
which at times is entirely dry, and at times is covered with a foot or 
so of water. 

East of the road is an attractive little lake. The bank is high 
throughout most of its length, and covered with timber. Nearly half 
the lake surface is open water from two to three feet deep. The re- 
maind«er is covered with different water plants. There are no sloughs 
and scarcely any low land near this part of the lake. 

The area at the time of the survey was 298 acres. The meander en- 
closes 371 acres. 9.88S acres of land are tributary to the lake. 

This is an ideal place for game birds, and considerable hunting is done 
here. People living near the lake say that clucks never nest there. Fish- 
ing is good during the season although the lake has never been stocked. 

The water supply is better than at many of the other lakes. The 
drainage area is relatively large. Several tile outlet along the shores and 
two or three small springs were found along the banks. 

From the northeast, the outlet leads away to the west fork of the Des 
Moines. There is enough fall so that the bed could be drained. 

Some complaint is made about the number of mosquitoes that breed in 
the vicinity. 

People owning land near the lake would like to see it drained. The 
sportsmen all wish to see it kept and improved if possible. 



64 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

Recommendations . 

The Commission recommends that it be kept, and that a dam which 
will raise the water level two feet, be put in at the outlet. The estimated 
cost is $2,000.00. The state should purchase land for a park fronting on 
the water so that the public may use the lake without trespassing". The 
estimated cost is $3,500.00. 

PRAIRIE LAKE, DICKINSON COUNTY. 

LaJce No. 27. Survey m,ade by the State Fish and Game Department. 
Inspection made August 7, 1916.. 

. Prairie Lake is a small body of water which covers a part of section 
23, township 99 north, range 36 west. It is five miles southeast of the 
town of Spirit Lake. Pleasant Lake is four miles northeast, East Okoboji 
about a mile west. A township road on the north passes very close to 
the lake. 

The lake is practically divided by two narrow timbered ridges which 
nearly meet at the center o'f the lake. That portion lying west of the 
ridges is shallow and muddy. It is thickly overgrown with rushes and 
has muddy shores. The eastern portion is generally shallow, but clear 
of rushes. Probably 30 per cent of the entire surface of the lake is cov- 
ered with aquatic plants. The shore of the east portion of Prairie Lake 
is well defined and inclined to be gravelly in places. The banks are steep 
and can be made attractive by the judicious planting of trees. 

There is no low ground near the lake except at the outlet. The area 
of the lake is 105 acres. The meander line which does not follow the 
shore line very closely, encloses 136 acres. The water shed is made up 
of 514 acres of farm land. 

The lake has no present value for fishing but is an excellent hunting 
resort. A 'few birds nest there. There are several undrained sloughy in 
the vicinity that offer cover and feeding places. The outlet is from the 
northeast end, through a small ditch which drains considerable slough 
land along its source and empties into the lower Gar Lake. 

This lake is often very low in dry times and sometimes goes entirely 
dry. The water can be raised to any desired height by means of a dam 
and spillway across the outlet. This dam should consist of two parts — 
one across the northern outlet and the other across the southern main 
outlet. The spillway should be through the southern dam. 

The bottom is of black silt which rests on typical glacial drift. 

Local sentiment is in favor of the retention of the lake. Little, if any 
complaint is made either of blackbirds or mosquitoes. 

Recommendations 

The Commission is of the opinion that this lake should be retained 
and that a dam should be built at the outlet which will raise the water 
two feet. The estimated cost of such a structure is $750.00. 



SURVEY OF 1 1 Kill WAV COMMISSION 65 

PLEASANT LAKE, DICKINSON COUNTY. 

Lake Ko. 68. Survey made by the state Fish and Game Department, 
Inspection made August 7, 1916. 

Pleasant Lake occupies parts of section 7 township 9 9 north, range 
35 west, and of section 12, township 99 north, range 36 west. It is situated 
five miles southeast of the city of Spirit Lake. It is only two miles east 
nt East Okohoji and a little more than two miles northeast of Prairie 
Lake. A township road makes a detour around the west side of the lake. 

The lake is a small ii regularly shaped body of clear water from five 
to six feet deep. The banks are high on the north, east and south 
sides, and in a few places, there are scattered trees. On the west of 
the lake is a small amount of slough land but little above the lake 
level. The survey shows the lake as having an area of 82 acres. The 
meander line, which does not at all conform to the lake shore, en- 
closes 117 acres. The water shed consists of 44 8 acres. 

Pleasant Lake is used but little, either for hunting or fishing pur- 
poses. There is no cover for game birds and only occasional flocks stop 
at the times of the spring and fall migrations. The drainage area Is 
very small and the lake varies in level as do all the other small lakes. 
So far as could be learned from inquiry, it has never gone dry. The 
outlet is to the southeast into the old bed of Lily Lake, which was sold 
in 1913. The bottom is of black silt for a depth of at least six feet. 

Farmers living in the vicinity make no complaint of any nuisance 
arising from the lake and express themselves as anxious that it be re- 
tained. 

Recommendations. 

The Commission is of the opinion that this lake should be kept just 
as it is. It is recommended that no improvements be provided for the 
present. 

JEFFERSON SLOUGH, DICKINSON COUNTY. 

Lake No. 29. Survey made by the State Fish and Game Department. 
Inspection made August ?', 1916. 

This lake is located in sections 5 and 6, township 99 north, and 
sections 31 and 32, township 100 north, range 36 west. It is about a 
mile west of the town of Spirit Lake, and is easily reached from the 
county road. 

This so-called lake is the east one of three marshes which lie just 
north of the railroad. The two west ones were sold by the state with- 
out being drained. A depth of two and a half feet of water is almost 
entirely filled with water plants of every variety. Its banks are rather 
high and partly timbered. The rest of the surrounding land is used 
as pasture and is too wet for cultivation. In fact, during wet seasons, 
this slough is nearly surrounded with other sloughs. 



66 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

An area of 80 acres was covered with water in the fall of 1916. 
The meandered area is 100 acres. The water shed consists of i>y7 
acres. 

Considerable hunting and trapping is done around the shores. This 
slough and the other two which lie just west of it, furnish ideal cover 
and feeding ground for ducks. 

There are no streams, tile or springs, which feed the lake and the 
water seldom overflows at the outlet which leads into lake No. 2. The 
bottom is of mud from two to three feet deep. 

Recommendations. 

The Commission is of the opinion that this lake should be preserved 
as it is »for the present. When a drainage plan for the other two 
ponds on the west is proposed, the state may well co-operate and se- 
cure drainage for this lake as well, retaining title to the land. 

FOUR MILE LAKE, EMMET AND DICKINSON COUNTIES. 

Lake No. 30. Survey made by order of the Executive Council. Inspec- 
tion made August 5, 1916. 

Four Mile Lake occupies part of section 18, township 99 north, range 
34 west, and section 13, township 99 north, range 35 west. Esther- 
ville is about four miles to the east, Spirit Lake eleven miles to the 
northwest. It is most easily reached by driving from Estherville. No 
roads touch the lake. 

The banks are well defined, and on the north, fringed with timber. 
The water is from two to four feet deep, and almost entirely grown up 
to rushes. Occasional patches of open water can be seen from the 
shores. Surrounding the lake, lies a rather rolling, but well drained 
country. On the north, there is a small area of wet land. Aside from 
this, there is no large amount of land dependent on the drainage of 
the lake for its improvement. 

The area is 185 acres as against the meandered area of 219 acres. 

The lake has a distinct value as a breeding place for game birds, 
and as a hunting resort during the shooting season. The water is not 
deep enough to provide safe winter quarters for fish, and so far as 
could be learned, no fishing is done there. 

Extending south and east from the lake are a succession of sloughs 
which drain into a county ditch and act as the outlet for the lake. The 
country south of the lake is fairly well drained. 

Silt and decaying vegetable matter form the bottom. The informa- 
tion gained from previous examinations, indicate that the lake is de- 
teriorating. 

Legal Status. 

In October of 1904, petition was made to the Executive Council for 
the drainage of this lake. A survey and report were made by Mr. L. 
E. Ashbaugh, but as no one appeared at the time set for the hearing, 
drainage was denied. 



SUKVKY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 67 

Again in September of 1913, a petition asking lor its drainage was 
submitted. Mr. L. A. Wilson made a second examination and report 
on the lake. This petition stirred up considerable feeling and both 
sides were represented at the hearing. The petition for drainage was 
again denied. 

Opposition to drainage seems to have arisen from the value of the 
lake as a hunting resort, and from fear of damage to land that would 
be caused by the outlet ditch. 

Recommendations. 

It is the opinion of the Commission that this lake should be kept in 
it present status because of its value as a shooting resort. Spirit 
Lake with all the advantages it offers in the way of boating and bath- 
ing, is only a short hour's drive farther west. People from the 
vicinity of Four Mile Lake, when in search of an outing, go there. 
For this reason, also, it is not considered wise to expend any consider- 
able amount of money in the improvement of Four Mile Lake. It is 
recommended that a road be built from the highway to the lake so 
that the public may reach it without trespassing. $600.00 is estimated 
as the cost of such a road. 

GRASS LAKE, EMMET COUNTY. 

Lake No. 31. Survey made by the State Fish and Game Department. 
Inspection made August S, 1916. 

Grass Lake is located in sections 16 and 17, township 100 north, range 
33 west. Huntington, on the C, R. I. & P. Railway, is the nearest rail- 
road point. The lake is two miles east of the town. Estherville is ten 
miles to the southwest. Tuttle Lake is seven miles to the east. 

This is a small lake from two to three feet deep, and almost covered 
with a growth of water plants. Its banks are very flat except for a short 
distance on the north, and are too wet for cultivation. There is scarcely 
any natural timber in the vicinity. Aside from these shores, two small 
ponds northwest of the lake are the only lands which cannot be drained 
with the lake as it is. 

A survey shows the area to be 152 acres. The meander encloses 1,79 
acres. 8,298 acres in Minnesota and 2,256 acres of land in Iowa, make up 
the water shed of the lake. 

Some hunting is clone around the shores, but no lodges are maintained. 
So far as could be learned, there is no fishing and this is what would be 
expected when the depth of water ,js considered. The main source of 
water supply is from a drainage ditch which comes down from Minnesota. 
Four tile from the surrounding farms also outlet a little above the present 
level. The outlet is through a creek, which flows into the west ifork of 
the Des Moines. The creek has a fall of 28 feet in five and seven-tenths 
miles. A bull ditch was run down this years ago in an effort to drain 
the lake. Judging from the evidence along the banks, the water in the 
lake formerly stood a foot and a half above its present level. 

Silt and decaying moss and water plants form the bottom. It is be- 
lieved that this would make good agricultural land if drained. 



68 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

Recommendations. 

The Commission recommends that permission he given for the drain- 
age of this lake, whenever a district is organized to drain the surround- 
ing lands, and that the state retain title to the lake bed, tile it out and 
rent it until it will sell for $125.00 per acre or more. 

This recommendation is based on the fact that the lake is nothing but 
a marsh at present, and -that owing to the shape of its hanks, considerable 
land would be damaged by raising the water level. It is difficult to 
estimate the assessments which will fall on the lake bed. The district 
in Minnesota will, of course, stand some part of the expense, as will the 
land owners below the lake along the outlet. 

At $20.00 an acre, the cost for the outlet will be $3,040.00. Tile can 
be put in for $30.00 an acre or $4,560'.00 for the entire lake bed. This 
makes a total of $7,600.00. To this should be added a reasonable amount 
to cover interest daring the construction and the coat of subduing the 
land. 

BIRGE LAKE, EMMET COUNTY. 

Lake No. 32. Survey made by order of the Executive Council. Inspec- 
tion made August 8, 1916. 

Birge Lake occupies parts of sections 7 and 18, township 100 north, 
range 32 west, and of sections 12 and 13, township 100 north, range 33 
west. It is four miles northwest of Dolliver, and fourteen miles to the 
northeast of Estherville. Tuttle Lake lies three miles to the northeast. 

A township road along the north side of section 13 is in bad shape 
where it passes the north end of the lake. Traffic along this road for- 
merly went to the north, across private property. This passage has re- 
cently been fenced off and the road is impassable except during the driest 
seasons;. 

The lake really forms one of a series of sloughs which occurs along 
the valley of Soldier Creek. It is difficult to tell why this one was mean- 
dered and the others not. The banks are rather; low and swampy. The 
water is shallow, not over three feet deep at ordinary stage, and grown 
up to rushes and other water plants. 

The area of the lake at the time of survey, was 140 acres. The 
meander encloses 168 acres. The area of the water shed is 12,948 acres, 
9,948 of which are in Minnesota. 

So far as could be learned from inquiry in the vicinity, the lake is 
used but very little. Some shooting is done by local boys, and a few 
muskrats are caught occasionally. The water is not deep enough to 
permit of its being stocked with fish. 

The lake is fed and drained by Soldier Creek, a branch of the Des 
Moines. Its valley is shallow and undeveloped and its slope, light. 
In times of flood, it carries considerable water; at other times, it is 
dry or nearly so. The fall in the first four miles below the lake is 
sixteen feet. 

The bottom of the lake is composed of silt and decaying vegetable 
matter. Even along the shores, there are very few places where any 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 69 

sand is visible. It now supports a dense growth of vegetation, and no 
reason appears why If properly drained out. and cared for, it should 
not make good farm land. 

The fall in Soldier Creek, above the lake, is slight. For this rea- 
son, considerable land, as well as the road, would be damaged if the 
lake level were raised. 

Legal Status. 

A petition for the drainage of this lake was presented to the Execu- 
tive Council in 1912. At a hearing in September of the same year, 
no opposition being offered, drainage was authorized and the land 
ordered sold as required by law. No steps were taken toward draining 
the lake under the authority granted. 

A reproduction of the map prepared for the Executive Council, is 
presented with this report. A second survey was not deemed neces- 
sary. Conditions on the ground were carefully looked into. 

One of the principal reasons for the desire to have the lake drained, 
lies in the fact that a Lutheran Church is located just northwest of 
the lake. Many of the congregation live in the vicinity of Dolliver, 
and because of the condition of the north road, find it necessary to 
make a detour to the south, to reach the church. They, for this 
reason, as well as others, favor drainage. 

Recommendations 

It is the opinion of the Commission that the drainage of this lake 
should be authorized when the counties affected, organize their dis- 
trict. The land should be tiled out and subdued by the state, and 
rented until it commands a price of a hundred and twenty-five dollars 
an acre. This opinion is based on the urgent need of drainage in this 
vicinity, on the impracticability of improving this body of water with- 
out buying up considerable areas of damaged land, and on the fact 
that there are six other lakes within this same county which offer op- 
portunities of every kind of recreation. 

When this lake is drained, it will be as a part of a large district. 
Until more complete surveys of such a district are at hand, it is im- 
possible to estimate with any degree of accuracy, the assessments 
which will be made on the lake bed. At $15 an acre, the cost of the 
outlet will be $2,100. Tile can be put in for $30 an acre or $4,200 
for the lake. This makes a total of $6,300. A reasonable amount 
should be added for getting the land under crops. At $125 per acre, 
the state would receive $17,500 for the land. 

TUTTLE LAKE, EMMET COUNTY. 

hake No. 83. Survey made by the State Highway Commission. Inspec- 
tion made August S, 1916. 

Tuttle Lake occupies parts of sections 10, 11 and 12 of township 
100 north, range 32 west in Iowa, and of sections 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 
27, 28, 29, 31, 32 and 33, of township 101 north, range 31 west in 
Minnesota. It is sixteen miles northeast of Estherville and eleven 



70 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



miles northwest of Armstrong. Iowa Lake ■ is five miles to the east, 
Swan Lake is eleven miles southwest. It is most easily reached by 
driving from Dolliver on the C. & N. W. Ry. A township road skirts 
the south and east banks in Iowa. A state road parallels it on the west 
in Minnesota and township roads skirt its east and north shore. 

In general appearance, the lake is a large, irregular shaped body of 
open water, from five to six feet deep. The shores are sandy, the 
banks are high and covered with native timber in places. In other 
places, they open out into broad areas of pasture land that lie very 
little above the lake level. 

The area of the lake is 2,816 acres, 981 of which are in Iowa. The 
area enclosed by the meander line is 2,753 acres. The water shed 
tributary to the lake is estimated at 92,160 acres. 

There are no pleasure resorts on the shores of this lake. One cot- 
tage known as the Elsworth bungalow is situated on its southern 




Fig. 18 — Tuttle Lake, Emmet County. Tuttle Lake has an open body of water of 

good depth, covering approximately four and one-half square miles. It acts 

as an immense storage reservoir for regulating the flood waters of the Des 
Moines River. 



shore. The lake is used mostly by hunters and fishermen. The large 
expanse of open water, together with the more shallow rush grown 
bays and outlying sloughs, makes this a favorite resort for game 
birds. There is shelter enough along the banks so that ducks in con- 
siderable numbers nest here. 

Fishing is very good and all the common fishes are caught in good 
numbers. The lake lies on the state line and so far as could be learned, 
has never been stocked by either state. 

The water shed tributary to this lake is larger than those of most of 
the lakes of the state. The water level varies from year to year, but 
so far as could be learned, the lake has never gone dry. The main feecleir 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 



71 



is Ten Mile Creek which enters the lake from the northwest. This stream 
lias very little fall in the first two miles; the water surface heing only 
1.0 feet above the water in the lake. Its valley is low, broad and subject 
to overflow by floods-. Another large territory on the north drains into 
Tnttle Lake through Bright and Clayton Lakes. The outlet is to the 
south into the east fork of the Des Moines River. The stream curves 
and twists through areas of slough lands which are subject to overflow 
in times of high water. The river has an average fall of a foot and a 
half per mile foir the first six milesi of its length below the lake. 

The bottom is covered with a deposit of black silt, though at places 
considerable beds Oif gravel were encountered in the borings. 

Local sentiment is somewhat divided. People in Iowa, and a great 
many in Minnesota wish the lake kept. Owners of low land north of 




Fig. 19— Tuttle Lake. Emmet County. There is an active movement on foot by 
the owners of low land to the north of Tuttle Lake in Minnesota to drain the 
lake. While such a procedure would undoubtedly benefit the low farm land in 
Minnesota, no plans have been proposed which could reclaim the lake bed and 
not subject the Iowa farmers in the Des Moines River Valley to damage by 
floods. 



the lake, wish to see it drained, or its level so regulated that they may 
get good drainage for their lands. 

Special Problem. 

The drainage situation around this body of water is peculiar. Refer- 
ence to Figure 20 will help make the situation clear. Ten Mile Creek 
as has been said before, is the main feeder for the lake. This stream 
drains a large area of land in Martin and Jackson Counties, Minnesota, 
and is subject to extreme floods. An. effort has been made to drain lour 
small lakes which lie on the branch that extends north toward Sherburn. 
Further west, the main creek has been dredged out and several drainage 
districts outlet into it. All this work doubtless results in the waters 
from heavy rains reaching Tuttle Lake somewhat quicker than was for- 
merly the case. 

North of Tuttle Lake, lie Perry, Bright, Mud and Pierce Lakes. These 
nominally drain to the south into Tuttle Lake. Clayton and Bright Lakes 



72 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 




SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 73 

have virtually the same water level as has Tuttle Lake. Pierce Lake is 
only six feet higher. 

During times of flood, the water which falls on the Ten Mile Creek 
water shed, is rushed down into Tuttle Lake, much faster than it can 
be taken away by the Des Moines River. Tuttle Lake rises, Its water 
level becomes higher than that in the lakes to the north. The natural 
drainage is reversed and the water from Ten Mile Creek Hows north into 
Clayton, Bright and Mud Lakes, and spreads out over the low lands 
surrounding them. Later, when Tuttle Lake has again fallen to a normal 
stage, this water drains away to the south, through Tuttle Lake to the 
Des Moines River. According to the testimony of old residents, this same 
thing has always happened. No doubt the drainage work which has been 
done to the west, has 1 aggravated the floods. Later when the tile is all 
put in, the floods should be less sharp. Nevertheless, it appears that the 
reclamation of lake beds which has been carried out south of Sherburn, 
has been partly at the expense of the people owning farms on the flat 
ground north o& Tuttle Lake. 

A drainage district costing some forty thousand dollars has been con- 
structed west of Pierce Lake. Its outlet is into Bright Lake. The fact 
that this outlet would not prove very satisfactory, was pointed out by 
Mr. G. N. Miller, the engineer of Fairmont, at the time of the hearing for 
the establishment of the district. In the face of this, the big ditch was 
put in. It does give some relief, but not nearly so much as was hoped for. 

The people living in Tenhassen and Rolling Green Townships, Minne- 
sota, need drainage, and need it badly. They can get it by continuing 
their ditch on down through Tuttle Lake to an outlet several miles below 
in the Des Moines River. This of course, would drain the lake, and pass 
the flood waters on down stream, for the people living along the Des 
Moines River to handle, at their own expense. Such a plan does not 
cure the trouble, but simply shifts it to other property owners. 

This lake, and those to the north, form a great natural reservoir, for 
the pondage of storm water. The people along the Des Moines River 
have enough trouble with floods as conditions are now. They have too 
much bottom land lying idle, or used only for pasture, to look kindly on 
any scheme which will add to their burden. 

Moreover, it is well to remember that those who most desire this 
drainage, bought their land, knowing conditions. That they bought it 
because it was cheap land and that in all fairness they should be the 
ones to pay for a system of drainage, which will not prove a hardship 
to other people. The preparation of anything like a complete plan to 
provide such drainage falls outside the province of this report. It will 
be of value however, to consider briefly one or two plans whicih could 
be adopted. 

The first plan contemplates siuch a system of levees as would prevent 
any water from Tuttle Lake or Ten Mile Creek ever backing into the 
lakes to the north. Reference to the large map which accompanies this 
report will show that such a system is entirely practical and will not 
prove expensive. A flood gate where Clayton Lake empties into Tuttle 



74 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

Lake will allow natural drainage to the south, as at present, but will 
not permit water from Ten Mile Greek to flow north. 

With this' done, there still remains the problem of disposing of the 
rain water which falls on this territory during the times when Tuttle 
Lake is too high to permit of its drainage by gravity to the south. The 
most natural way of handling this, and one which has met with entire 
success in southeastern Iowa, is by meamsi of a pumping plant. 

A careful study of conditions' leads to the conclusion that such a plant, 
not including the cost of embankments, and main ditches, should not 
be more than two dollars an acre for the district, to the north of Tuttle 
Lake and east of the range line through Welcome. Fixed charges and 
operating expenses should not exceed one dollar and thirty cents pea- 
acre per year. 

Second plan: Iowa Lake to the east is twenty-eight feet below Clayton 
Lake. A ditch across here would be four miles in length, and have a 
maximum cut of thirty feet. If the same district as above, is all drained 
through this ditch, its first cost, not including damages: incurred by taking 
the water out of its natural course, will be higher than the first cost 
of the pumping plant, but the annual cost will be lower. Sufficient in- 
formation is not at hand to warrant a final comparison of the two 
schemes. 

Either one of these plans will greatly reduce the area over which the 
water is now stored, and as a consequence, unless arrangements are 
made to allow a greater fluctuation in the level of Tuttle Lake, will 
decidedly increase the flood flow in the outlet. How this question can 
be handled to the best advantage, can only be decided after actual measure- 
ments' of the flows in Ten Mile Creek, the Des Moines River, the inlet 
from Clayton Lake, and the variation • of level in Tuttle Lake, have been 
made, during high water. 

Recommendations. 

The Commission recommends that enough measurements of the flood 
flow in the Des Moinesi River at the outlet be made to determine what 
the natural flow of the river is. When this has been decided, a dam 
should be built at the outlet which will maintain the lake, as it is today. 
It is estimated that such a dam will cost $3,100.00. They recommend 
farther that a park be purchased fronting on the lake, and estimate its 
cost at $6,600.00. 

In the event that it is thought wise to adopt the doubtful expedient 
of trying to maintain the lake at an unchanging level, by throwing the 
flood flow directly down the Des Moines River, plans for the work should 
not be approved by the Iowa authorities until they are altogether satisfied 
that adequate provision has been made to protect the property owneirs 
along the Des Moines River from' damage by floods. .Such channel im- 
provements will cost many times what would be required to drain the 
lands along the river. This increased cost should be paid, by the lands 
north of the lake, as they will be the only ones benefited. 



SUUVKY OK IIICIIWAY COMMISSION 



7", 



IOWA LAKE, EMMET COUNTY. 

Lake No. SJf. Survey made by the State Highway Commission. Inspec- 
tion made August 8, 1916. 

Iowa Lake occupies parts of sections 11, 12 and 14, township 100 north, 
range 31 west, in Iowa, and of sections 29, 31, 32 and 33, township 101 
north, range :'»0 west, and of section 25, township 10 north, range 31 west, 
in Minnesota. It is most easily reached by driving from Armstrong on 
the C, R. I. & P. Railway. Township roads on the state line, touch it 
both on the east and west sides. Tuttle Lake is five miles to the west, 
Swag Lake three miles to the east. 

The lake is a beautiful sheet of open water, of most irregular shape. 
The banks are high and well timbered. Two small areas of slough lie 
between Iowa Lake and Silver Lake on the north. These and two ponds 
in Iowa are the only undrained lands in the vicinity. 

A total of 832 acres are covered by the lake; 478 of which are in 




Fig. 21 — Iowa Lake, Emmet County. This photograph shows another view of the 
same lake shown in the frontispiece. Iowa Lake has one of the best wooded 
shore lines of any lake in Iowa. Several roads touch the lake but the shore 

line, suitable for camp sites, is all privately owned. 



Minnesota and 354 in Iowa. The areas enclosed by the meander are 433 
and 30'8 acres respectively. 

The lake is but little used at present. Splendid cottage sites and camp- 
ing grounds are to be found along the shores. The water varies from 
five to nine feet in depth. All the common varieties of fish are caught. 
So far as could be learned from inquiry, it has never been stocked. 

There are no streams of any size feeding the lake. On the northwest, 
a line of tile has diverted water from the Tuttle Lake drainage and fur- 
nishes a fairly steady supply. On the south, one small creek outlets into 
the lake. South Silver Lake drains into Iowa Lake from the north. 



76 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

Relatively speaking, the water .supply for this lake is good, although 
it has suffered from a lack of water during the worst dry seasons. 

The outlet is in Minnesota. A small creek leads away to the east, 
crosses the state line into Iowa about two' miles from the lake, and 
empties into Swag Lake a mile further down. In making the survey of 
this lake, all elevations were referred to a datum plane 100 feet below 
the water surface of Swag Lake. The water surface of Iowa Lake is 40 
feet above Swag Lake. 

Old residents say that at one time, the outlet was lowered nearly five 
feet. Later, the lake was again raised to within two feet of its natural 
level. An examination of the shore does not bear this out. It seems 
probable that the normal level of the lake has been very little, if any, 
higher than at present. The bottom is a fine black silt which overlays 
beds of sand, gravel and clay. 

The sentiment in the locality seems all to be in favor of retaining 
the lake. Some would like to see it lowered a little so as to give better 
drainage outlets. There is very little low land surrounding the lake and 
such a course of action should not be considered seriously. 

Silver Lake to the north, is also a beautiful lake, perhaps twenty feet 
deep. There are two summer resorts on its shores. Various people in 
this vicinity are anxious to see a canal built connecting this to Iowa 
Lake. The plan seems entirely practical. It does not appear that such 
a canal could in any way, affect Iowa Lake adversely. 

Recommendation s . 

The Commission recommends that the lake be preserved, that a park 
be purchased on its shore and that an effort be made to co-operate with 
the Minnesota authorities in the building of a permanent dam at the 
outlet. 

Land for the park may cost $3,300. The outlet dam should be built 
for $800.00. 

WEST SWAN LAKE, EMMET COUNTY. 

Lake No. 35. Survey made by order of the Executive Council. Inspec- 
tion made August 5, 1916. 

West Swan occupies parts of sections 29, 30 and 31 of township 99 
north, range 32 west, and of sections 25, 35 and 36 of township 99 north, 
range 33 west. It is eleven miles southeast of Eistherville, and twelve 
miles southwest of Armstrong. Tuttle Lake is twelve miles northeast, 
Mud and High, Lakes two miles southwest. A township road crosses the 
outlet, and other township roads touch it on the south side so that all 
parts of it are easily reached. 

The lake is a pleasing body of open water from six to eight feet in 
depth. 

The banks are sharp and in many places covered with natural timber, 
except at the southwest where the drainage from Mud Lake enters. Here 
the creek enters through a big marsh that extends back nearly to the 
other lake. Aside from, this marsh, there is very little wet land that 
drains into Swan Lake. 



SI'KVKY OF IIKillW'AV COMMISSION 



77 




Fig. 22 — Iowa Lake, Emmet County. The outlet to Iowa Lake lies in Minnesota. 
Iowa authorities should co-operate with the Minnesota authorities in building 
a permanent dam to maintain the water level. 




Fig. 23 — Iowa Lake, Emmet County. Surrounding many of the Iowa lakes there 
are walls or dikes which almost appear to have been the work of man. These 
dikes have in reality been formed by the ice pushing and carrying out the 
earth and boulders from the lake bed to the shore line. This movement 
is almost imperceptible in a single year, yet in the course of thousands of 
years, some of the lakes have built up embankments as shown in this picture, 
five and six feet in height. The fact that these are always formed where 
the shore line is low, adds to the impression that these walls have been 
designed and built by man to raise the shore line and improve and protect the 
lake. These walls account for the fact that there are so many "Wall Lakes" 
in Iowa. 



78 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



The lake has an area of 1,038 acres. The water shed includes that of 
Mud and High. 

This lake is a favorite hunting ground for people of that part of the 




Fig. 24 — West Swan L,ake, Emmet County. Swan Lake is an open body of water 
covering about one and one-half square miles. The shore line in parts, is 
heavily wooded. The shore line is all private property and there is no easy 
means of access. 

state. Pishing is also reported as good and all the more common varieties 
of fish are caught. So far as learned, the lake has never been stocked. 
No fault is to he found with the water supply. The lake level varies 
somewhat from yea,r to year, hut not enough to be objectionable. Atten- 
tion has been called to the large slough at the inlet. Some of the land 




Fig. 25 — West Swan L,ake, Emmet County. East Swan Lake, immediately adjoining 
West Swan Lake, has been drained and a dam built to protect West Swan 
I,ake. Property owners around this lake value it very highly. They feel that 
its proximity to their land, adds value to their farms as homes. 



owners would like to see the lake lowered but it seems that this is a 
case in which such a step should not be seriously considered. 

The outlet is through a dredge ditch to the east which follows the 
valley of Jack Creek to the Des Moines River. A concrete dam and fish- 
way at the outlet maintain the lake level. The bottom is a layer of silt 
and decaying vegetation overlying the Wisconsin drift. 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 79 

Legal Status. 

Petition for the drainage of Swan Lake was made in 1904, and a survey 
and report as required by law, followed. In December of the same year, 
the Executive Council gave as their opinion that the East Lake should 
he drained and the West Lake preserved, by a dam located at the point 
where the highway crosses the lake. Plans for a dam and spillway were 
approved in 1911. In 1913, there was an effort made to have the height 
of dam changed but after considering all petitions and having the high 
water line determined from an examination of the ground, the Executivo 
Council reaffirmed its first order. 

Recommendations. 

The Highway Commission is of the opinion that this lake should be 
preserved as it is. The purchase of a park fronting on the lake is recom- 
mended, at an estimated cost of about $6,000.00. 

MUD LAKE, EMMET COUNTY. 

Lake No. 36. Survey made by the State Fish and Game Department. 
Inspection made August 5, 1916. 

Mud Lake occupies parts of sections 11, 12, 13 and 14, township 98 
north, range 33 west. This lake, like High Lake, is thirteen miles south- 
east of Estherville. A township road touches it on the south side. 

The banks, except on the south side, are high and considerable tim- 
ber lines the shores. The water is from four to seven feet in depth. 
Perhaps one-quarter of the area is grown up to rushes; the other 
three-quarters are open water. One slough of 49 acres drains in from 
the north. 

The area is 363 acres. The meander encloses 421 acres. The water 
shed consists of 6,154 acres. 

There is one small shooting lodge where the sportsmen gather for 
trap shooting two or three times a year, situated on the southeast 
shore of Mud Lake. Many attractive camp and cottage sites are to 
be found around its shores. 

Although no fish have been put in, the fishing is reported to be fair- 
ly good. All the more common varieties are taken. The lake with 
surrounding sloughs and its timbered banks makes an ideal place for 
bird life. 

The water supply is only moderately satisfactory. Residents in the 
vicinity state that during dry years the level is about three feet lower 
than during ordinary years. At one time the bed became entirely dry. 
The largest part of the supply comes from High Lake, which drains 
into Mud Lake through a slough of 205 acres on the south. 

West Swan Lake, a mile and a half to the north, receives the water 
from the outlet. Between the two lakes, lies a considerable area 
of slough land, that cannot be drained by gravity without draining 
Swan Lake. The fall between the two lakes is 5 feet. In sounding 
the lake, it was found that a pole could easily be pushed down from 
twelve to fifteen feet below the water surface. The material encounter- 



80 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA. 

ed was a heavy black silt. Mosquitoes and blackbirds are as plentiful 
as would be expected in a locality such as this. There is very mue 
complaint made of either. 

Local sentiment is divided. The land owners in the immediate vi- 
cinity would favor drainage, because of the benefits which would ac- 
crue to them from such a course. People living further away are in- 
different. The sportsmen are heartily opposed to the destruction of 
the lake itself. 

Recommendations. 

The Commission recommends that the lake be preserved and that 
a small dam be built at the outlet to aid in maintaining the lake 
level. The cost of the dam is estimated at $1,800. Land for a pub- 
lic park fronting on the lake should be purchased at an estimated cost 
of $3,500.00. 

HIGH LAKE, EMMET COUNTY. 

LaJce No. 81. Survey made oy the State Fish and Game Department. 
Inspection made August 5, 1916. 

High Lake occupies portions of Sections 14, 15 and 2 3, township 9 8 
north, range 33 west. Estherville, the county seat, is thirteen miles 
northwest. Swan Lake, in the same county, is four miles northeast. 
It is most easily reached by driving from Wallingford on the C. R. I. 
& P. Ry. A county road touches it on the east side. 

In general outline, it rather resembles the old fashioned hour glass; 
its two large bodies of open water being connected by a narrow neck. 
The banks on the north and south sides are high and covered with 
timber. From four to six feet of water were found in sounding. 112 
acres of slough on the north drains into the lake through a narrow 
break in the bank and a smaller area drains in from the west. 

The survey showed an area of 451 acres in the lake proper. The 
meander encloses an area of 467 acres. 

Considerable hunting is done here in the open season. This lake 
with its outlying sloughs offer good shelter and feeding grounds for 
wild fowl which nest here to some extent. No pleasure resorts or cot- 
tages are maintained along the banks, though nice locations are to be 
found both for cottages and temporary camps. Most of the fishing 
done is confined to the spring of the year when pickerel, buffalo and 
carp are running. The lake has never been stocked and the water is 
scarcely deep enough to warrant it. 

During dry years the lake suffers from lack of water just as do prac- 
tically all the lakes of the state. During wet years, on the other 
hand, there is a super-abundance here as in other places. The outlet 
is to be to the east through a big slough to Mud Lake. There is 
1.2 feet of fall between the two lakes. The bottom of the lake is a 
heavy mud. 

Very little is said in this vicinity about damage caused by black- 
birds. Complaints of the annoyance occasioned by mosquitoes are 
numerous. 



SURVKY OP HIGHWAY COMMISSION 81 

Recommendations. 

The Commission recommends that this lake be retained in its pres- 
ent condition. Land suitable for a park should be purchased, planted 
to trees and a road built to give the public entrance to the lake shore 
and park. The cost of these improvements is estimated at $4,000.00. 

TWELVE MILE LAKE, EMMET COUNTY. 

Lake A'o. 3S. Survey made by the State Fish and Game Department. 
Inspection made August 5, 1916. 

This lake occupies parts of sections 20, 21 and 29 of township 98 
north, range 34 west. It is nine miles south of Estherville. Raleigh 
on the M. & St. L. Ry. is the nearest railroad point. Lost Island Lake 
is seven miles south; High Lake seven miles east. A township road 
touches the southern end. 

The lake is a pretty little sheet of water, five feet deep, more than 
half of which is free from rushes. Its banks are high, except near the 
outlet, and covered with scattered timber. At two or three places the 
shore is sandy. Very little low land is dependent upon the lake for 
a drainage outlet. 

The area of the lake is 211 acres. The area enclosed by the meander 
line is 290 acres. The water shed is composed of 929 acres. 

Local people use the lake for fishing and outing purposes. Hunting 
is considered good though so far as could be learned, ducks do not 
nest there. 

No tile, streams or springs form a visible source of water supply. 
The run-off from a small drainage area seems to be all that keeps the 
lake up. At the time of the examination the water stood a foot be- 
low the outlet. The outlet is a shallow valley leading away to the 
southwest. There is a project on foot to tile the outlet, in which case 
a small dam will have to be constructed to maintain the lake. The 
bottom is a soft black mud, through which a pole can be pushed down 
for eight or ten feet. 

People living in the vicinity wish to see the lake retained and make 
very little complaint of any nuisance arising from its presence. 

Recommendations. 

The Commission is of the opinion that a dam should be built at 
the outlet to maintain the present level. Its estimated cost is 
$2,000.00. 

GOOSE LAKE, GREENE COUNTY. 

Lake No. 39. Survey made by order of the Executive Council. Inspec- 
tion made September 26, 1916. 

Goose Lake includes parts of sections 6 and 7, township 84 north, 

range 30 west, and sections 1 and 12, Township 84 north, range 31 

west. It is located seven miles north of Jefferson, the county seat. 

The Twin Lakes of Calhoun County are thirty-four miles to the north. 

6 



82 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



Wall Lake in Sac County, is thirty-two miles to the northwest. The 
lake is easily reached from a township road which skirts its southeast 
shore. 

The banks are well marked on the south and east sides. On the 




Fig. 26 — Goose Lake, Greene County. Goose Lake is a shallow marsh of about 
three-quarters of a section. It has been famous as a central Iowa hunting 
resort. The great disadvantage at Goose Lake is that there is an insufficient 
natural water supply and that there is no source from which an artificial sup- 
ply can be obtained at a reasonable expense. 

north and west, the slopes of the banks are more gradual. With the 
exception of a few scattered willows there is no timber near the 
shores. 

No large areas of low land are dependent upon the drainage of 
the lake for their reclamation. The land which borders upon the 
lake is in use up to the fence lines, either for crops or for pasture 
land. 

The water is no where more than five feet deep, though this, of 
course, varies with the water level. Rushes and lily pads cover the 
largest part of the surface. 

The area was found by survey, to be 411 acres. The meander line 




Fig. 27 — Goose Lake, Greene County. Goose lake is covered with a scattered 
growth of rushes and other vegetation. Farmers in the vicinity of Goose 
Lake complain bitterly of the damage done by blackbirds which find their 
nesting place in the marsh. 



SlMiVKY OF II hi 1 1 WAV COMMISSION 



83 



encloses 4 77 acres. The water shed consists of approximately 824 
acres of land. 

So far as can be learned the lake is used exclusively for hunting 
purposes. Sportsmen of the state value it highly as a shooting re- 
sort. There is excellent cover and feeding grounds for all kinds of 
water fowl. 

The water supply is limited by the small size of the drainage area. 
A road extends across the natural outlet, and so far as could be 
learned from inquiries in the vicinity, the lake does not overflow here 
for years at a time. 

In 1 S 9 4 the lake is reported to have gone dry and crops to have 
been raised on a part of the bed. With the exception of pumping 




Fig. 28 — Goose Lake, Greene County. This photograph shows a road across the 
outlet to Goose Lake. There is no culvert in the road, yet it has not over- 
flowed in years. This is an indication of the inadequate natural water supply. 



from deep wells, no artificial water supply is to be had. This method 
is considered too expensive to be undertaken. 

Silt and decaying vegetation form the lake bottom. It is believed 
that this should form valuable agricultural land when thoroughly tiled 
out and subdued. A great deal of complaint is made of the damage 
to crops caused by swamp black birds which frequent the place. 
Legal Status. 

In 1913, application was made to the Executive Council for permis- 
sion to drain the lake, in connection with a large county drainage 
district which is to build up the creek through which the lake out- 
lets. Hearings were had at which the testimony, both of those in 
favor of drainage and of those opposed to it, was taken. No decision 
had been reached when the present law went into effect. 



84 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

Recommendations . 

It is the opinion of the Commission that this lake should be drained; 
the state reserving the title to the land. This conclusion is based 
on three considerations: The first is the fact that at a public hearing 
held at the lake, some fifty people, residents of the vicinity and fa- 
miliar with local conditions, expressed unanimously the opinion that 
the lake should be drained. This was the only hearing held during 
the entire investigation where such was the case. 

The second is the fact that due to physical conditions surrounding 
this lake, particularly to the difficulty of getting an artificial water 
supply, improvements will prove more expensive than at most of the 
other lakes which were examined. The Commission feels very strongly 
that such improvements cannot be carried to a successful conclusion 
without the enthusiastic co-operation of the local people. 

The third is that in its present condition the lake is an eyesore, 
and something of a nuisance. As agricultural land, it should be val- 
uable to the state, and pay more than the Interest on any investment 
made for its improvement. 

If the lake is drained it will be as a part of a large district. It is, 
of course, impossible to say exactly how the costs will be apportioned. 
The state should insist that the work be thoroughly done so as to en- 
tirely drain the land and render it fit for cultivation. The outlet will 
cost approximately $35.00 an acre, oi< $14,400.00 for the lake. Tile 
will cost $30.00 an acre or $12,300.00. This makes a total of $26,- 
700.00 for the lake. A certain amount should be added to this to cover 
the cost of getting the land to producing crops. 

This lake bed, when drained, will be an ideal place for the state to 
establish a custodial farm. There is land enough; it is compact, and 
lies in the midst of as good a farming district as can be found in 
the state. 

LITTLE WALL LAKE — HAMILTON COUNTY. 

Lake No. 40. Survey made by the Executive Council. Inspection 
made October 12, 1916. 

Little Wall Lake is situated in sections 9, 10, 15 and 16 of town- 
ship 86 north, range 24 west. It is most easily reached by driving 
three miles south of Jewell Junction. The highway leads directly to 
the lake and skirts its western shore. Webster City is twenty-two 
miles to the northwest, Iowa Falls thirty-four miles to the northeast. 
The nearest lake is Big Wall in Wright County which is twenty- 
three miles due north. 

This lake is not prepossessing on first sight, due largely to the fact 
that a large part of its surface is grown up to rushes. The banks, 
however, are good and on the east side considerable natural timber is 
found. In several places around the shores typical walls pushed up 
by the ice are to be seen. These seem to show that at some time in 
the past the water level was considerably above where it is at present. 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 8-", 

Scarcely any low land which cannot be drained is to be found near 
the lake. 

The water varies in depth from three feet in the northwestern part 
Of the lake to six feet in the southeastern part. 

The area now is 230 acres. The area enclosed by the meander is 
273 acres. The water shed is very small. 

At the present time the lake is more of a hunting resort than any- 
thing else. A hunting lodge is maintained on the west bank and sev- 
eral boats are to be seen along the lake shores. It is reported that 
fair strings of bullheads are taken from its waters. 

The water supply is not all that can be desired. The tributary 
area so far as surface drainage is concerned is so meager as to make 




Fig. 29— Little Wall Lake, Hamilton County. Little Wall Lake is a shallow lake. 
Portions of it are filled with heavy growth of rushes and other vegetation but 
there are stretches of open water. It is famous as a hunting resort in central 
Iowa. Sentiment in the locality is strongly opposed to the drainage of this lake. 
Conditions around this lake are such that it offers a favorable opportunity for a 
trial of a more extensive lake improvement. 



one wonder why there is a lake at all. It seems probable that this 
lake, like some others, must receive a part of its water by a gradual 
infiltration from the gravels of the glacial drift on which it lies. It 
is reported to have gone dry as did many of the lakes of the state in 
1894. During most years, however, there is water there. 

A low place in the bank on the southeast side of the lake is the 
natural outlet. This leads away to the southeast and empties into 
the Skunk River. The water in the lake is nearly three feet lower than 
the outlet. 

In the northern part of the lake the bottom is of silt. In the south- 
ern and eastern parts considerable sand and gravel is found. 

Blackbirds and mosquitoes are only normally troublesome. 

People living in the vicinity are in favor of keeping the lake and 
they wish very much to see it improved. 



86 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



Legal Status. 

In 1913, an application for drainage having been received a survey 
was made by order of the Executive Council. In January of 1914 
drainage was denied. 

Rcommendations. 

It is the opinion of the Commission that the lake should be kept 
and improved. If this can be done a large community which other- 
wise is a long way from any place suitable for outing purposes will 
be served. 

There are two methods by which the lake can be bettered. The 
first consists of placing a dam at the outlet and raising the water 







*■* ' ' i^lP '' - 









Fig. 30 — Little Wall Lake, Hamilton County. Plans for the improvement of Little 
Wall Lake contemplate the dredging of a portion of the lake bed, using the 
spoil material in building up land for a park in the more shallow portion of the 
lake bed. The shores and the new land should be forested. If this lake should 
be improved, it will provide an attractive lake resort in a part of the state 
which has few natural attractions of the kind. 



level. Additional water can be obtained by pumping from wells or 
from a drainage ditch which passes fifteen hundred feet north of the 
lake and is seventeen feet below the water surface. This plan is ob- 
jectionable because of the expense incurred in pumping year after 
year. 

The second method and the one which the Commission recommends 
consists in dredging out the lake bottom. The cost of this work over 
an area of forty acres is estimated at eighty-five thousand dollars. 
From the spoil obtained enough land should be made to provide a 
public park. This method of doing the work will reduce the size 
of the lake and thereby decrease the loss of water due to evaporation. 
It is thought that by so doing it will be possible to keep the lake in 
good condition without pumping in water. The made land can be 
planted with trees at a cost of five hundred dollars. 



SUUVKY OF IIIOIIVYAY COMMISSION 



87 



EAGLE LAKE — HANCOCK COUNTY. 

].<ikr No. J/. Survey made by the Civil Engineering Department, Ames, 
Iowa. Inspection made June 18, 1916. 

Eagle Lake occupies parts of sections 13, 18, 19, 24 and 30 of town- 
ship 96 north, ranges 24 and 25 west. It lies just north of the county 
road between Garner, the county seat, and Britt. On the east, north 
and west, township roads make it easy to reach from any direction. 
Crystal Lake lies about nine miles to the northwest, Clear Lake about 
fourteen miles to the east. 

The western bank of the lake is rather high and covered with native 
timber. The eastern bank is, in general, less abrupt, and a large pan 
is under cultivation, or used for grazing. The bottom of the lake is 
largely peat, the product of decaying vegetable growth. Underlying 
the peat the borings show blue clay and gravel. 

The water is shallow, four feet being the greatest depth found and so 
badly grown up with rushes that even a light duck boat is handled with 




Fig. 31— Eagle Lake, Hancock County. Eagle Lake is a large shallow, partly open 
body of water covering more than one square mile. Over fifty species of birds 
nest here. Ornithologists and students of bird life from institutions all over the 
United States come to this lake to make studies of the bird life of the middle west. 



difficulty. Young men living in the vicinity, however, tell of sailing 
and of running ice boats on the lake, so that it appears that the 
growth of rushes must be of recent date. With the exception of a few 
bull heads, no fish are caught. 

The area of the lake at the time of the survey was 837 acres. The 
area within the meandered line is 906 acres. The area of the water 
shed is 6,866 acres. 

The lake is now used almost entirely as a hunting resort. Three or 
four boat houses are maintained on the western shore by local sports- 
men, and the lake is visited by many parties of hunters from more dis- 
tant points. The reeds and rushes- in the lake itself, and the timber 
along the shore, make the best of cover and nesting places for a great 



88 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

variety of birds. Ornithologists from this and other states frequently 
visit the lake to make field studies of the fifty varieties of birds that 
find shelter in this little patch of wilderness. 

It receives its water supply from extensive areas of slough land lying 
to the south and east. Four ditches which drain considerable land en- 
ter from the south. The drainage area is not as large as could be de- 
sired to maintain a uniform water level in the lake during all years. 

The outlet at present is from the north end, to a drainage ditch which 
leads to the Iowa River. Old settlers say that in the early days the 
outlet was more to the west through a chain of sloughs lying close to 
the hills. In times of flood, some of the surplus water undoubtedly 
finds its way out in this direction even today. 

Legal Status. 

In the September term of the district court in 1910, William Jakon- 
bek, through his attorneys, Seneff & Bliss, brought an action against 
the board of supervisors of Hancock County, against E. W. Burgitt as 




Fig. 32 — Eagle I,ake, Hancock County. I,ocal sentiment is so strong for the preserva- 
tion and improvement of Eagle L,ake, that in the spring of 1916, when there was 
danger of the lake outlet cutting out and emptying the lake into a nearby drain- 
age ditch, some forty or fifty men of the community spent several days, without 
pay, repairing the dam to save the lake. 



engineer, and against Henry Boutilier and William Vescelius as con- 
tractors, asking an injunction to prevent the defendants from construct- 
ing any dam or embankment at the outlet of Eagle Lake, and a manda- 
tory injunction commanding them to remove the structure already 
built. The claim made was that it caused water to overflow his land, 
prevented drainage of his land, and hindered access to the lake. The 
case was dismissed by the court, no injunction being granted. 

Special Problem. 

The remains of the concrete spillway which was the cause of the ac- 
tion still stand but the earthen dike is badly washed out. The outlet 
between the deep drainage ditch on the section line >and the lake is cu1> 
ting very fast and now endangers the lake. 



SURVEY Oh 1 HIGHWAY COMMISSION 89 

An embankment such as is required at the outlet will be about 3,800 
feet long, and for the most part will be built outside of the meander 
line. 

The people of the vicinity are very anxious that the lake be main- 
tained and improved. They have expressed themselves as willing to 
co-operate with the state authorities. 

Recommendations. 

In the opinion of the Commission, Eagle Lake should be kept and 
some money expended to make it of more use to the public. The shal- 
low water, the shape of the banks, and the broad flat outlet all will 
render it difficult and rather expensive to improve this lake. As it 
stands today, it has an unquestionable value as a shelter for game and 
bird life. Places of this sort are becoming scarce in Iowa. Then too, 
the deep peat beds in this lake wlil render drainage difficult. Unless 
an exceptionally thorough and expensive plan were undertaken it seems 
probable that the lake would merely be reduced to a marsh. 

An earthen dike, reaching five feet above the lake level, with a con- 
crete spillway of proper capacity should be installed at the outlet. The 
dike should be well protected by fences to prevent its being trampled 
down by cattle. This work can be done for $14,000. 

Land should be purchased for a park, and a road built to connect it 
with the highway. Three thousand dollars should prove ample for this 
purpose. 

Perhaps forty acres of the lake should be dredged out so as to pro- 
vide a place for boating, and to allow the fish to winter. In this way all 
classes of people will be served. Seventy-seven thousand dollars is a 
fair estimate of the cost of this work. 

WOOD LAKE — HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Lake No. 42. Survey made by Civil Engineering Department, Ames, 
Ioiva. Inspection made June IS, 1916. 

Wood Lake is situated in section 24, township 96 north, range 25 
west. It is only six hundred feet from Eagle Lake, and should be con- 
sidered in connection with that body of water. E'ritt is the most con- 
venient railroad point from which to reach this lake. A township road 
passes very near its western bank. 

A growth of plant life covers the water surface. The water is from 
two to three feet deep. The banks are distinct and covered with tim- 
ber on the north and east sides. On the south and west, the country is 
low, and the shores are less sharply defined. 

The lake now has an area of 42 acres, though the government mean- 
der encloses 52 acres. 

No fish are caught in this marsh whose only use is as a feeding ground 
for ducks. Because of its small area, few game birds nest here. They 
come and go from Eagle Lake. 

People familiar with the lake say that it occasionally goes dry. This 
is to be expected because there is no visible source of water supply, ex- 
cept the run-off from a little of the land which surrounds it. 



90 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

The outlet is through a small ditch to Eagle Lake. There is enough 
fall so that the bed could be drained if its bottom were solid. The bot- 
tom, however, for eight feet in depth, is of peat, and this renders the 
success of drainage doubtful. 

Recommendations. 

The Commission recommends that the lake be kept as it is for the 
present. It may perhaps be useful in the development of a park at 
Eagle Lake. 

CRYSTAL LAKE— HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Lake No. l^S. Survey made by the Civil Engineering Department, Ames<, 
loiva. Inspection made June 13, 1916. 

Crystal Lake is located in sections 9, 10, 15 and 16, township 97 north, 
range 25 west. Just to the south is the village of Crystal Lake, a town 
of perhaps one hundred and fifty people, on the Titonka branch of the 
C, R. I & P. Railway. It is nine miles north of Britt and eight miles 



L 




Fig. 33 — Crystal I,ake, Hancock County. Crystal Lake is" a beautiful open body cf 
water of approximately one-half square mile. It is one of the most beautiful lakes 
in the state and one which should, in the future, have great value as a place of 
recreation. 

southwest of Forest City. Eagle Lake in the same county, lies nine miles 
to the southeast. Clear Lake in Cerro Gordo County is about twenty-four 
miles away. A county road from the south, and township roads from 
the east, make it easy to reach the lake by motor. 

The banks of this lake are rather abrupt, except on the west, where 
drainage enters. Native timber covers quite a part of the shores. The 
water is open, free from rushes, clear, cold, and from six to seven feet 
deep. People who have lived here for years give the depth as fifteen feet. 
The soundings showed from two to seven feet of almost liquid mud, below 
which lies sand and gravel. 

The area of the lake at the time of the survey was 274 acres. The 
area within the meandered line is 238 acres. It is to be noted that the 
old meander line does not follow the actual shore line very closely. 
The water shed consists of 2,134 acres. 

So far as can be learned from inquiries the lake has never been 
stocked with fish. At the present tiime, only bull heads 1 can be caught, 
though formerly perch and pickerel were to be found in large numbers. 
The lake seems to be only a local resort, due largely to its proximity to 



SURVEY OP HIGHWAY COMMISSION !)1 

Clear Lake. With its clear water, good boating, and inviting banks, 
it merits more attention than it apparently receives. 

The drainage area is decidedly limited and no doubt a large part of 
the water supply comes from springs. Any attempt to raise the water 
level will overflow the low land lying to the northwest. This is not 
desirable. The outlet is to the southeast through a concrete culvert under 
the highway and thence through a dredge ditch to the Iowa River. The 
present water level represents a normal high stage. A rise of two feet 
would put the water over the road at the outlet and -imperil the railroad 
track in places. 

Local people are united in a desire to have the lake kept and improved. 
They are justly proud of this beautiful little sheet of water. They regard 
it as an asset to the community and express themselves as willing to co- 
operate in every way for its betterment. 

Special Problems. 

Attention has been called to the large deposit of silt which is taking 
place in this, as well as in other of the lakes. In the course of time 
the deposit here will have to be removed or the lake will be ruined. How 
serious a menace this is in any particular lake can only be determined by 
careful soundings taken over a period of years. 

Recommendations. 

This is one of the lakes which should be preserved. It is recommended 
that steps be taken to raise the county road just east of the outlet. 
Sufficient land should be purchased fronting on the lake to form a public 
park. Land in this vicinity is valued at from $150.00 to $200.00 an acre. 
Without reference to any particular tract, it is estimated that $5,000.00 
should purchase the required land and pay for an entrance. 

EAST TWIN LAKE— HANCOCK, COUNTY. 

Lake No. 44- Survey made by the State Highivay Commission. In- 
spection made June 15, 1916. 

This is one of a pair of lakes, the other of which is known as West 
Twin. It occupies portions of sections 19, 20, 29 and 30 in township 94 
north, range 24 west. 

Kanawha, a town of five hundred people, on the M. & St. L. Ry., is four 
miles west of the lake. Goodell, a town of three hundred population, 
on the C, R. I. & P. Ry., is five miles east. The lake is easily reached 
from the highway that skirts it on the west. On the north the highway 
is not far from the lake and could, to advantage, be relocated so as to 
follow the shore even more closely. 

The banks on the north and south are high and covered with good 
sized groves of natural timber. On the west is one small slough which 
cannot be drained. The east one-quarter of the lake is shallow, and 
grown up to rushes; the rest is open water about a foot and a half deep. 

The area at the time of the survey was 184 acres. The area inside 
the meander line is 193 acres. The area of the water shed is 2,292 acres. 



92 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

East Twin is now used mostly as a resort for hunters. The fishing 
is reported to be good, though the water has not been deep enough to 
shelter game fish or to make it advisable to stock it. From the south, 
the drainage from a long string of sloughs enters the lake through a 
narrow break in the bank. The water surface in the most northern 
slough of this group is below the level to which the lake will be raised. 
Those farther south, are a little higher. A plan for draining these 
sloughs through a saddle in the hills southeast of the lake has been con- 
sidered. An earth embankment five hundred feet long would be needed 
to prevent the lake draining out through the same ditch. 

As will be seen from the map, there is not a great deal of fall from 
these sloughs to the river, and it seems improbable that the northern 
ones can ever be completely reclaimed. 

About two-thirds of the water shed tributary to the lake - enters by 
way of these sloughs, and of course, will be cut off in case an attempt 
is made to drain them. 

At the time the survey was made, a dam was being built by the Fish 
and Game Department, at the outlet, which will raise the water level 
3.25 feet, or to an elevation of 103.25, referred to the map. The dam 
consists of a concrete spillway twelve feet long, and an earth embankment 
eleven hundred feet in length. This will increase the depth to about 
five feet. 

The outlet is to the east, across a flat to the dredged-out Iowa River. 
In times of flood, this flat is covered with back water from the ditch. 

Silt and decaying vegetation forms the bottom. 

The lake, when the water rises, will form a valuable addition to Iowa's 
lakes, and the local people are well pleased with the work being done. 
They would like, however, to see the lake deepened by dredging. No 
complaint was heard of any nuisance arising from the lake. 

Legal Status. 

About twelve years ago, Mr. E. M. Sheffield of Belmont, deposited a 
sum of money with the Board of Supervisors of Hancock County as part 
payment for the bed of the lake. Later he brought an action in the dis- 
trict court to compel them to fulfill their engagement. The matter was 
at last settled out of court, Mr. Sheffield renouncing all claim to the lake 
bed that he may have had heretofore. 

Recommendations . 

In the opinion of the Commission, this lake should be retained and 
further improvements made. They recommend that land fronting on the 
lake be purchased for use as a public park. The estimated cost is placed 
at $4,000.00. 

WEST TWIN LAKE--HANCOCK COUNTY. 

Lake No. Jf5. Survey made by the Civil Engineering Department, Ames, 
Iowa. Inspection made JHme 15, 1916. 

West Twin occupies parts of sections 19 and 30, township 94 north, 
range 24 west, and of sections 24 and 25, township 94 north, range 25 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 93 

west. It is three miles east of Kanawha, and six miles west of Goodell. 
Eagle Lake is ten miles north; Twin Sisters Lake, seven miles south. 

This is a nice, clear body of open water from five to six feet deep. 
There is no inlet and at the present elevation of the water surface, no 
outlet. The banks are good. There is practically no low land dependent 
on the lake for drainage. On the southeast, a grove of natural timber 
forms a pleasant picnic ground. 

The area of the lake at the time of survey was 109 acres. The area 
enclosed by the meander line was 109. acres. Two hundred and twenty- 
nine acres of land are included in the water shed. 

Only local people use the lake for fishing purposes. It has never been 
stocked, but bullheads are found in abundance. There is very little 
natural shelter around the shore and as a consequence, it is not ofi any 
importance as a nesting place for wild fowl. Occasional flocks only are 
to be found during the spring and fall migrations. 

Owing to the very limited area which drains into the lake, the water 
supply is not all that can be desired. The water level fluctuates con- 
siderably. If the water were to rise two feet above its present level, it 
would escape to a small ditch south of the lake and follow down a natural 
depression to East Twin Lake which is 29 feet lower. If it were to rise 
a trifle higher, it could also escape to the southwest into the Boone 
River. The lake is almost exactly on the divide. The bottom is of mud 
and decayed vegetable matter. 

Local testimony indicates that the lake is filling rapidly. This is due 
in a long measure to dust carried in by the wind from the surrounding 
plowed fields. The sentiment of the people living in the vicinity is 
generally in favor of preserving the lake as a resort. Very few complaints 
arc heard about the lake. 

Recommendations. 

The Commission is of the opinion that it should be kept for the use 
of the local people and that the State should purchase a public park on 
its banks. The estimated cost is $3,500.00. 

NOBLES LAKE— HARRISON AND POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTIES. 

Lake No. JfG. Survey made by State Highway Commission. Inspection 
made September 26, 1916. 

Nobles Lake occupies parts of section 2, township 77 north, and of 
section 35, township 78 north, range 45 west. It is twenty miles north 
of Council Bluffs and eight miles southwest of the Missouri Valley. Love- 
land, on the C. & N. W. Ry., lies about four miles directly east of the 
lake. Two lakes in the parks of Council Bluffs are the nearest bodies of 
water to the south. Blue Lake, at Onawa, thirtyHsix miles away, is the 
nearest lake on the north. 

Taken as a whole the lake is rather attractive. The west shore has 
low, grass covered banks. The east bank is high and has several nice 
groves of timber. The water is open over the greatest part of the area. 
Ten feet of water was the deepest encountered in the sounding, but most 



P4 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

of the lake is more shallow. Comparatively little wet land is found in 
the immediate vicinity of the lake. 

Wilson's lake, or Minnewashta lies just north of Nohles Lake. This 
was sold by the county, and a quit claim deed issued to private owners 
in 1899. The lake has been partly drained by a ditch leading into Nobles' 
Lake, and a considerable part of the bed is under cultivation. 

A ditch leading south from Nobles Lake is under construction, which 
will lower the water surface about two feet below its present level, and 
afford better drainage to Wilson's Lake bed. 

Permission to lower Nobles Lake is said, by those interested in the 
drainage of Wilson's Lake, to have been granted by the State. The 
records of the Executive Council do not confirm this statement. 

It is our opinion that this lowering of the water level may in a 
measure help to stop the cutting which has been going on along the 
east bank of the lake. 

The area at the time of the survey was 160 acres. The area enclosed 
by the meander was 80.5 acres. This difference in size is due to the tact 
that the Missouri river cut into the lake from the northwest in 1912. 

Automobile picnic parties from Council Bluffs come frequently to the 
lake for a day's outing. Two or three cottages are kept for rent on the 
east shore. 

An abundance of different kinds of fish are caught. The lake connects 
directly with the river and has never been stocked. During the shooting sea- 
son the lake isi a popular resort for the sportsmen who get good bags around 
its shores as well as along the river bottoms. The lake lies but little 
above the river and can not well be drained out. In May, 1916 (Omaha 
gauge 10.1, Sioux City gauge 9.3), the river level west o ; f the lake was 
three feet below the lake level. The low place on the river bank is 
about three feet above lake level. The bottom is of blue clay. 

Recommeii dation s . 

In the opinion of the Commission this lake should be kept. They 
believe that a considerable amount of the damage from the river would 
be avoided if the roads west of sections 35 and 2 had permanent embank- 
ments. The work will not be expensive in any event and the State 
may perhaps co-operate with the township in doing it. 

ROUND LAKE— HARRISON COUNTY. 

Lake No. Jfi. Survey made by State Highway Commission. Inspection 
made September 26, 1916. 

Round Lake occupies parts of sections 13, 14, 23 and 24 of township 
80 north, range 45 west. It is most easily reached from the town of 
Mondianiin from which point a county road leads, north two miles to the 
lake. Nobles Lake is sixteen miles to the south, Blue Lake about twenty- 
four miles to the northwest. 

The east half of the lake is open water from four to six feet deep. 
The west half of the lake is shallow, grown up to rushes, and in times 
of low water goes entirely dry. The east and south banks of the lake 



SURVEY OF I lie H WAY COMMISSION 95 

are rather high. On the north and west as well as on the island the 
slopes are very gradual, and in times of high water as when the survey 
was made, the lake covers ground that generally is used for agricultural 
purposes. On the south of the lake there is 1 one good grove of timber, 
and willows are found scattered along the shore in several places. 

The area of the lake is 327 acres. The meander, encloses 409 acres. 
The water shed is very small. But little use is 1 made of this body of. 
water. Scarcely any fish are caught, although they are reported to have 
been abundant several years ago. Some few ducks and geese stop here 
during the spring and fall immigration but so far as could be learned 
they do not summer nor nest in the vicinity. 

The land around the lake is about the same as generally found along 
the Missouri River. It is rather low and subject to occasional overflow 
from the river, but during ordinary years produces good farm crops. 

The drainage area tributary to the lake is small and the water surface 
varies considerably. So far as could be learned from inquiry the east 
half never goes dry. 

Soldier Creek Cut-Off passes the lake aibout 1,000 feet to the north. 
At times of ordinary flow the water in the ditch is about five below the 
water level of the lake. In times of flood the water surface in the ditch 
rises somewhat above the lake level, so that the lake can be partly drained 
into the ditch if desired, or flood waters from the ditch could be turned 
into the lake. 

As things are today the lake has no outlet though one could be obtained 
in the county ditch a mile and a half to the south. The bottom of this 
ditch was nine feet below the lake level at the time the survey was made. 

The bottom of the lake is a sandy loam, comparatively hard and only 
in a few places was soft mud encountered. 

The area of the lake is 327 acres. The government meander encloses 
409 acres. The water shed, as at all of the Missouri bottom lakes, is 
very small. 

Legal History. 

All of the land included in this lake was selected as swamp land by 
the county, under the Federal Act of I860. The records in the state 
house do not show that the lake has been disposed of. Records on file 
in the county court house show that the lake was sold by the county in 
1899. 

SWAN LAKE— JOHNSON COUNTY. 

Lake No. Jf8. Survey made by the State Highway Commission. Inspec- 
tion made September 30, 1916. 

Swan Lake occupies parts of sections 32 and 33, township 31 north, 
and of sections 4-5, township 80 north, range 7 west. It is six miles 
northwest of North Liberty, and about sixteen miles from Iowa City. 
A township road follows along the north shore and allows access to the 
lake. 

The banks are well defined, and mostly under cultivation. The water 
is shallow, and the maximum depth found was only two feet and a half. 



96 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OP IOWA 

Most of the area is grown up to rushes. Indications along the shore 
and the testimony of residents agree that the lake has been about two 
feet higher at times. Practically no low land is to be fO'imd around its 
shores. 

The area of the lake is 37 acres. The government meander encloses 
44 acres. The drainage area consists of 119 acres. 

There are no fish to be caught there in later years. Some time ago 
the place is reported to have been well stocked with the more common 
varieties of fish. Shooting is said to be fairly good though the small 
size and absence of timber makes it rather exposed for breeding purposes. 

There is no outlet. In times of high water the lake sometimes over- 
flows the road and the water drains away toward the river. There is no 
channel, however. 

The bottom of the lake consists of a thin layer of silt, overlying a 
sandy clay. 

Legal Status. 

In 1914, Mr. Frank C. Carson of the Johnson County Savings Bank 
made application to the Executive Council for the lease of the lake for 
a period of ten years. 

After investigation by Secretary Allen, a lease at $1.00 an acre was 
executed subject to termination upon other disposition of the land as 
provided by law. 

Mr. A. J. Roup, Jr., and Mr. Frank Fisher, who owns land to the east 
and west of the lake, now hold the land, and use it for hog pasture. 

Recommendations . 

The Commission recommends that the lake be drained and the land 
retained by the state until such time as its value as farm land is estab- 
lished and it will sell for $125.00 per acre or more. 

These recommendations are made because the lake is of no value as 
a resort for the people, and that due to its location no artificial water 
supply seems practical. 

A ditch in section 33 will furnish an outlet. There is 17 feet of fall 
from the lake to the ditch. The entire outlet will cost $2,300. 00", some 
part of which will be paid by land outside the lake. Probably $1,300.00 
will be assessed against the lake bed. At $30 an acre, the tile in the 
bed will cost $1,110.00. Something should be added to this for getting 
the land under crops. 

BABCOCK LAKE-— JOHNSON COUNTY. 

Lake No. J t 9. Survey made by the State Highway Commission. Inspec- 
tion made September 30, 1916. 

Babcock Lake is situated in sections 30 and 31, township 81 north, 
range 7 west of the Fifth Principal Meridian. It is most easily reached 
by driving from the town of North Liberty, a distance of seven miles. 
Swan Lake, in the same county, lies two miles southeast of Babcock 
Lake. 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 97 

A casual Investigator would, no doubt, simply call this tract bottom 
land along the Iowa. River. It. is only upon an examination of the gov- 
ernment plats, that it becomes apparent that it is a lake. A more minute 
scrutiny of the ground results in the discovery of a slight depression in 
the form of a capital "J"; the top of which nearly touches the river and 
whose foot touches the higher land which is used as farm land. The 
area at the time of the survey was 58 acres. The meander encloses 58 
acres. 

A tiny stream which drains a limited area to the south trickles down 
through the sag. During high water, the river backs in. The banks 
are fairly well defined on the eastern side. On the western half they 
shade off until they are hardly noticeable. The bottom is of sand and 
gravel mixed with silt. The flat inside the bend is from five to nine 
feet above the river, is covered with grass and. timber and is used for 
pasture land. A little of the bottom land east of the lake is under cul- 
tivation. 

There is no fishing, and the place is only used for hunting, as are 
the other abandoned river channels and flats which are to be found all 
along the river. Indeed, even old residents expressed considerable sur- 
prise on being informed that this land is a lake. 

Recommendations . 

In the opinion of the Commission, this land should be appraised and 
sold without being drained. 

It is not practical to make a lake at this point owing to the lack of 
a water supply and to the continual attack to which it would be subjected 
on the river side. 

The depression is not high enough above the river to be drained and 
kept dry. It is doubted whether the land will sell for enough to more 
than pay the expenses. 

People residing in the vicinity inform us that these bottom lands 
do not sell. That in trades they are regarded as having a value of from 
twenty to thirty dollars an acre. 

GOOSE LAKE— KOSSUTH COUNTY. 

Lake No. 50. Survey made by the State Highivay Commission. Inspec- 
tion made September 29, 1916. 

Goose Lake occupies a part of section 17, township 100 north, range 30 
west of the Fifth Principal Meridian. Swag Lake in the same county 
lies a mile to the northeast. Iowa Lake in Emmet County is four miles 
to the northwest. It can be reached by driving a distance of twelve 
miles, either from Armstrong or Swea City. A township road touches 
it on the east side. 

The banks of the lake are steep and high, with only a few scattered 
trees to shade them. The water is open, over most of the area, and 
from two to three feet deep. 

The area at the time of the survey was 103 acres. The area within 



98 



LAKES AND LAKE BEOS OF IOWA 



the meander line is 74 acres. A noticeable discrepancy between the area 
of the lake and of the meander may be in part explained by the recent 
completion of the tile line from Eagle Lake, and the construction of the 
dredge ditch from the west. Both tend to make the water high. People 
residing in the neighborhood and who have been familiar with the lake 
for years bear out this conclusion. 

The lake is used only by hunters during the short duck season in the 
fall. The sloughs to the east and west are valued as trapping grounds 
by the farmers' boys who gather from them a harvest of muskrat skins 
during the winter. Fish cannot winter because of the shallow water. 

Both a tile line which drains Eagle Lake, and a large dredge ditch 
from the southwest outlet in the lake at about its present level. Land 
owners whose tile empty into the dredge ditch will object to the level 
of the lake being raised. The outlet is to the east, through a slough, 
to Swag Lake. When the survey was made, there was a fall of three 
and a half feet between the two. In times of flood there is practically 
none. During dry years the bed of Goose Lake has been without any 
water. At other times the water has been high enough to damage the 




Fig. 34 — Goose I^ake, Kossuth County. Goose Lake is a shallow open body of water. 
It covers seventy-four acres. It is entirely surrounded by private property and 
there is no access to it. It is valuable as a hunting resort. 



highway grade on the east. The bottom is of mud and decayed vegetable 
matter, but owing to the slight fall along the outlet it cannot be drained 
for farm use. 

Local sentiment seems to be rather in favor of drainage, if it could 
be accomplished at a reasonable cost. This is- due to the fact that black- 
birds congregate here in the fall. The fact, too, that Iowa Lake lies 
only three miles away, doubtless leads the people to under-value this 
body of water. 

Recommendations . 

The Commission recommends that this lake be retained as it is, and 
that nothing be done to it for the present. 



SUKVKY OK 1 1 Kill WAV COMMISSION 



99 



SWAG LAKE — KOSSUTH COUNTY. 

Lake No. 51. Survey math- by the stale Highway Commission. Inspec- 
tion made September 29, 1916. 

Swag or Burt Lake is situated in sections 9 and 10, township 100 
north, range 30 west of Iowa and sections 35 and 36, township 101 
north, range 30 west of Minnesota. It is twelve miles northwest of 
Swea City on the C. R. I. & P. Railway, from which point it is most 
easily reached. A township road touches it on the east side. 

It is a small but very attractive body of water lying partly in Iowa 
and partly in Minnesota. Its banks are steep and high, except where 
tributary drainage breaks through. Several groves of native timber 
add to the natural beauty of the locality. 

The water is shallow, four feet being the deepest sounding recorded 



r 




Fig. 35 — Swag Lake, Kossuth County. Swag Lake is a beautiful open body of 
water. It lies on the Minnesota-Iowa state line. It covers approximately one- 
quarter of a section. The shore line is partly wooded. The lake is skirted by 
the highway for a considerable distance, but there is no available recreation 
spots except on private property. The lake is one of the few which drains 
north into Minnesota. It drains into the Blue Earth River. 



at the time the survey was made in the fall of 1915. The surface 
of the lake is subject to far greater changes of level than any of the 
lakes examined heretofore, due to the fact that it is the outlet for a 
large drainage area so formed as to concentrate the flood waters at 
this point. In the spring the water is frequently over the grade on 
either side of the highway bridge that spans the outlet. 

Aside from the sloughs on the inlet, there is only one low piece of 
ground that cannot be drained without disturbing the lake. This is a 
small slough on the southeast. 

The entire area is 120 acres of which about 46 acres are in Iowa. 
The meander encloses 129 acres. The drainage area includes about 
21,000 acres, including the lakes before mentioned. 



100 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OP IOWA 

The bottom is of black silt six or eight feet deep, overlying beds of 
various colored clay. 

The outlet is to the north, in Minnesota, through the Chain Lakes 
to the Blue Earth River, and finally to the Mississippi. 

Swag Lake was dry in 1889, according to Mr. W. M. Burt of East 
Chain, Minnesota. 

The lake is quite a resort for local fishermen in spite of the fact that 
it freezes over from time to time and kills out all the fish. Large quan- 
tities of pickerel, buffalo and carp are speared in the outlet during the 
spring. 

In the fall, ducks stop on the lake and the neighborhood people enjoy 
good shooting. During the winter, the low lands to the north and 
south furnish -large quantities of muskrats' pelts for trappers. 

The inlets are two, one from Iowa and South Silver Lakes,' the second 
from Goose and Eagle Lakes. These join perhaps a quarter of a mile 
south of Swag Lake. The drainage from Iowa Lake, which lies on the 
state line nearly four miles to the west, comes down through Minne- 
sota in a fairly well defined channel which crosses the state line into 
Iowa about a. mile west of the lake and spreads out over marshy flats. 

The drainage from Goose Lake, which lies about a mile to the south- 
west, reaches Swag Lake through >a stretch of slough. Eagle Lake, 
which has recently been drained with the permission of the State, was 
diverted from its natural outlet to the south. Its waters enter Goose 
Lake through a 2 6-inch tile and so come down to Swag Lake through 
the slough. 

Local sentiment seems to favor keeping the lake. It would be de- 
sirable to drain the sloughs on the south if this could be done without 
draining the lake. Unfortunately, this does not seem practical. 

Recommendations. 

The Commission recommends that the lake be kept. The state should 
buy some ^and fronting on the water which the public can use as a 
park. If necessary, this should be planted with trees.. The cost is 
estimated at $3,500. 

GREEN BAY LAKE— LEE COUNTY. 

Lake No. 52. Survey not possible. Inspection made October Uf, 1916. 

Green Bay is located in sections 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32 and 33 of 
township 68 north, range 3 west. It is a long narrow body of water 
which lies parallel to the Mississippi River and formerly outleted into 
it at the lower or most westernly end. Its water level rose and fell 
with the level of the river. In times of flood the river formerly swept 
in from the eastern end, over the low intervening ground, and covered 
considerable low land surrounding the lake. 

It is most easily reached by a five-mile launch trip up the river from 
Ft. Madison. Formerly a township road also led to the lake but this is 
impassable at present. 

The banks were high in many places and covered with timber. The 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 101 

water was of a good depth, and afforded boating, fishing and shooting 
resorts for the people from Ft. Madison and the surrounding country. 

Several clubs and many individuals built cottages along its shores 
and it was easily the most popular summer resort in this part of the 
state. 

Two hundred and seventy-one acres of land were covered by the 
lake at ordinary stage. Considerable flat land drained into it from 
the northwest. 

In speaking of this lake the past tense has been used advisedly. 

The recently completed dam in the Mississippi River at Keokuk has 
raised the water at the lake about twelve feet. The timber is sub- 
merged and is dying off, some of the cottages have been moved, and 
some are partly under water. In places the high banks project a little 
above the water, but the land behind is flooded. The place now is as 
sad and desolate a waste as can be encountered anywhere. 

The county board in November, 1915, approved plans for a levee and 
drainage district which includes some 14,000 acres of land, bounded 
on the north by Skunk River, on the east and south by the Mississippi, 
and on the west by the C. B. & Q. Railway. 

The two rivers are to be shut off by levees. Drainage ditches will be 
run into Green Bay and a pumping plant will lift the water from the 
lake, over the levees, into the Mississippi. The lake will be used as a 
collecting basin and the pumps will hold the water at its old normal 
level (514 ft. Memphis datum) no matter what the stage of the river 
may be. 

Plans for the district have been prepared by the Edmund T. Perkins 
Engineering Co., 1110 First National Bank Building, Chicago. Mr. 
Isham Randolph acted as consulting engineer. 

Recommendations. 

It is the opinion of the Commission that this drainage district, even 
aside from consideration of the reclamation of the land, should be ap- 
proved by the state for the benefit which it will be to the lake itself. 
The state should maintain supervision of the lake, particularly regard- 
ing the matter of the level at which it is held, and the regulation of 
ditch outlets, so as to keep the silt deposits out of the main body of the 
lake. 

The only objection to the drainage district that can be raised is that 
the lake will, of necessity be cut off from the river. However, the lake 
is deep enough so that fish can winter and no difficulty should be ex- 
perienced in maintaining a good supply of game fish. 

No reason appears why the state should pay any drainage assessments 
on the former lake bed. 

Plans or estimates have not been included for public parks or roads 
in the vicinity of this lake. The Commission is strongly of the opin- 
ion that both should be provided but believes that such provision can 
be more intelligently made after the construction of the district has 
advanced farther than at present. Attention is called to them as worthy 
the careful consideration of whatever new management the state shall 
see fit to provide. 



102 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

BLUE LAKE — MONONA COUNTY. 

Lake A T o. 53. Survey made by the State Highway Commission. Inspec- 
tion made September 27, 1916. 

Blue Lake occupies parts of sections 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 
in township 83 north, range 46 west, and of sections 34 and 3 5 in town- 
ship 84 north, 4 6 west. Onawa, the county seat, is three miles to the 
east. Brown's Lake is twenty-six miles to the northwest, Nobles Lake 
is thirty-five miles to the south. 

The lake is a horseshoe shaped body of water; one of the many loops 
cut off by the Missouri River in its wanderings. The water in the 
northeastern part is 17 feet deep and open. The south and western 
parts are more shallow and have considerable quantities of water plants 
and rushes growing in them. 

The banks are good. Natural timber is found scattered along the 
shores, and among the sand dunes on the "island." 

The area of the lake is 918 acres. The meander encloses consider- 
ably more land — 1,599 acres being given in the report of the land of- 




Fig. 36 — Wright's Park, Blue Lake, Monona County. This is a privately owned park 
on the shores of this beautiful Missouri Valley lake. The extent to which this 
private park is utilized during- the summer months, demonstrates the advisability 
of the establishment of a state park open to the general public. The shore line 
is all owned by private parties and there is no access to any recreation grounds 
except over private property. 

fice. At the time of the original land surveys, some very serious error 
seems to have been made in this vicinity. In 1904, Fred Heyer, W. B. 
Bailey, J. H. McCaskey and twenty-two other property owners in this 
vicinity, petitioned the district court to appoint a commission to deter- 
mine the corners and lines of sections 2 and 11. Morris McHenry, C. 
H. Holbrook and Mitchell Vincent were appointed as a commission by 
the court. 

They retraced some of the old lines, and found many of the original 
corners. Their report was made to, and approved by the court, which 
fixed the corners and subdivision lines according to their plat. 



Sl'KVFY OF HKJHWAY COMMISSION 



103 



These lines have been shown on OUT map of the lake. It will be QO 
ticetl that where the east ami west lines intersect the lake, large off- 
sets occur. 

The meander, plotted from the government notes, has the general 
shape of the lake. If the sections are assumed as rectangles one mile 
square, as they are supposed to have been laid out on the ground, the 
meander would run from meander post to meander post without any 
very serious errors being apparent. 

On the map submitted with this report, the meander posts have been 
plotted by scaling the required distances taken from the government 
notes, from the section corners. The meander line has then been plot- 
ted in each direction from these posts. This method of plotting does 
not give' a closed figure, but has the merit of indicating in a generai 
v/ay, where the line was probably run in the field, and what land It 
enclosed. 

Blue Lake is the only recreation spot in this part of the state, and is 




Fig. 37 — Blue Lake, Monona County. There is splendid fishing in Blue L,ake, probably 
the best in western Iowa. Good strings of bass and perch are caught here. There 
are twenty-five fish in the string shown in the picture. A county road has been 
built across the lake upon an embankment. If a state park were established at 
this lake, this is the road which would lead to the park. 



made use of for hunting, fishing and camping. At Wright's Park on 
the east shore, several cottages have been built for rent. 

Until 1912, the fishing is reported to have been good, many fair sized 
bass being taken. That winter, most of the fish smothered. The lake 
has since been restocked by the Fish and Game Department. 

Game birds are said to be plentiful. The lake is large enough and 
provides sufficient shelter so that many ducks summer here and raise 
their families. A State Game Reserve fronts on the west lake. 

The lake has no direct outlet, but the low land on the south would 
permit flood water to escape toward the Missouri. There are no inlets 
and the drainage area is very limited. Drainage engineers report that 



104 LAKES AND LAKE BEOS OF IOWA 

the lake is so high that it is impossible to drain even the land in the 
immediate vicinity into the lake. 

Water level is so little above the river that it could not be drained. 
On April 21, 1916, the river level was five feet below the lake surface. 

The county highway running west from Onawa, crosses both arms of 
the lake on embankments. No small amount of trouble and expense is 
incurred in their upkeep, due to burrowing animals and the action of 
waves and ice. 

Recommendations . 

The Commission recommends that this lake be preserved, and improved. 
There is considerable waste land inside the toe of the horse shoe. Some 
of this is enclosed in the meander. 

Title should be perfected to perhaps forty acres, and this should be 
planted to trees. 

Right of way should be obtained and a road built from the county 
road, to this park, and continuing north, across the shallowest part of 
the lake, to a junction with the township road above the lake. 

Ten thousand dollars should cover the cost of these improvements. 

RUSH LAKE, OSCEOLA COUNTY. 

Lake No. 54. Survey made by the State Fish and Game Department. 
Inspection made September 2S, 1916. 

Rush Lake is located in sections 30 and 31, township 100 north, range 
39 west, and sections 25 and 36, township 100 north, range 40 west. 
Ocheyedan, a town of six hundred people on the C. R. I & P. Railway, 
is a mile southwest of the lake. Iowa Lake, on the state line, lies six 
miles to the north; Silver Lake in Dickinson County, is seven milesi to 
the east; Spirit Lake is twenty miles due east. A county road passes 
just to the north of the lake. It may also be reached from the south, 
although the township road is not open. 

The banks around the west, north and east sides are high. On the 
south, a typical wall has been pushed up by the ice. The meadow land 
just south of the lake is but little higher than the water surface of the 
lake. Two small areas of slough land outlet into the lake from this 
side. On the north also two larger sloughs drain into the lake. 

The water varies from three to four feet in depth, and over half of it 
is covered with a growth of rushes. The bottom is a black alluvial silt. 

The area as shown by the survey was 317 acres. The government 
meander line encloses 359 acres. The drainage area consists of 1,944 
acres; of land. 

The lake is valued now chiefly as a hunting resort and offers excellent 
shelter for all kinds of water fowl. The water is too shallow 'for game 
fish, only a few bullheads and carp are caught. Blackbirds and mosqui- 
toes are only normally troublesome. 

The water supply is not as satisfactory as could be wished. A pro- 
posed drainage district of some 2,100 acres just to the north, can be made 
to empty into the lake at no expense. Arrangements to assure this sup- 
ply should be made at once. 



SITUVKY OK IIICIIWAV COMMISSION 



10; 



The outlet is from the southwest rorner by way of the Ocheyedan River 
to the Little Sioux. There is a fall of thirteen feet between the lake and 
the place where the outlet crosses the C. R. I. & P. track about a mile 
below. 




Fig. 38— Rush L,ake, Osceola County. People of Ocheyedan and the surrounding com- 
munity are enthusiastic over the prospect of improving Rush Lake, which lies 
near that town. It is partly open water and partly covered with rushes and 
vegetable growth. It covers about one-half square mile. The famous Ocheyedan 
mound is in the vicinity of this lake. 

Legal Status. 

In 1904, application was made to the Executive Council for the drain- 
age of the lake. This was vigorously opposed by residents of the vicin- 
ity, and the Council found that the lake should be preserved. 




Fig. 39 — Rush Lake, Osceola County. The water supply in Rush L,ake is inade- 
quate but there is a drainage system to the north, part of the water from which 
could be turned into the lake with advantage. 



Recommendations. 

The Commission believes that the lake should be kept. Steps should 
be taken at once to insure the increased water supply mentioned herein. 
Land should be made from the spoil obtained by dredging forty acres, 
trees planted and the whole made into a public park. The estimated cost 
of the dredging is $80,000. The planting of trees' will cost perhaps 
1200.00. 



106 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OP IOWA 



IOWA LAKE, OSCEOLA COUNTY. 

Lake No. 55. Survey made by the State Fish and Game Department. 
Inspection made September 28, 1916. 

Iowa Lake occupies part of section 9, township 100 north, range 39 
west in Iowa, and of sections 31 and 36, township 101 north, ranges 3§ 
and 39 west in Minnesota. It is five miles northwest of the village of 
Harris on the C. R. I. & P. Ry. Rush Lake is six miles southwest. Silver 
Lake is nine miles southeast. 

This is a pleasant appearing little lake, long and narrow, with well 
defined hanks. On the east and south, the shores are timbered; on the 
north and west, they are under cultivation. 

The water is from three to four feet deep and free from plant life, 
over the greatest part of the area. One small slough is connected to the 
lake on the south, otherwise the surrounding country is well drained. 

The area as shown by the survey is 242 acres; 116 acres of which are 




Fig. 40 — Iowa Lake, Osceola County. Iowa Lake is on the Iowa-Minnesota line. 
It is a clear open body of water of less than one-half square mile. The east 
shore is nicely wooded. There is no access to the lake except over private 
property and no camp sites except on private property. 



in Iowa and 126 in Minnesota. 241 acres are enclosed by the meander 
line. The water shed is composed of 4,320 acres. 

No summer resorts are found here. There are good cottage sites but 
scarcely enough water in the lake to make it attractive for such uses. 
It is used for hunting and provides good shelter and nesting places Sbr 
water fowl. Some fishing is done by local people especially in the spring. 

A small stream from the south drains into the lake, and is the main 
source of water supply. A fifteen-inch county tile also outlets in tho 
slough just south of the lake. A variation of three feet in the water level 
is reported by people living in the vicinity. 

The outlet is from the north end. There is fall enough in a very short 
distance so that the lake could be drained. On the other hand, a short 
dam could be built here that would raise the water level a foot or two>. 
Such a raise would damage very little land. 

Soft black silt forms the bottom. A pole can easily be pushed down 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 107 

six or eight feet below the water surface before Cirm footing is en- 
countered. 

Very few complaints as to blackbirds or mosquitoes were made. The 
sentiment among people residing in the vicinity seems to be in favor of 
keeping the lake. 

Riecommendations. 

In the opinion of the Commission, the lake should be preserved. No 
improvements are recommended at this time. 

MEDIUM LAKE, PALO ALTO COUNTY. 

Lake No. 56. Survey made by order of the Executive Council. Inspect 
tion made August //, 1916. 

Medium Lake is a long slender body of water which lies in sections 5, 
7, 8, 18 and 19, township 96 north, range 32 west, section 24, township 96 
north, range 33 west, and section 32, township 97 north, range 32 west. 
The southern end is in the town of Ernmetsburg. A road along the east- 
ern shore makes the lake easily accessible. 

The water varies from three to five feet in depth. The banks are good 
and there is not a great deal of low land in the vicinity. Some scattered 
timber grows along the banks of several wooded islands add to the at- 
tractiveness of the scene. The lake has an area of 991 acres. The 
meander encloses 945 acres. The water shed is small. 

Situated as it is, close to the town, the lake is used to quite an extent, 
for boating and picnic purposes. 

The outlet is from the east side through a creek into the Des Moines 
River. A concrete dam has been built at the outlet by local people. The 
bottom is the same as is found in most of Iowa's lakes, a deposit Of silt 
overlying a mixture of sand, gravel and clay. 

Legal Status. 

An application for drainage was made in' 1907. The lake was surveyed 
by order of the Executive Council, and a report filed with them. At a 
hearing in 1908, drainage was denied. 

Special Problem. 

The people residing in Emmetsburg became interested, and the Med- 
ium Lake Improvement Association was formed with Mr. W. H. Vaughan 
as President and Mr. W. E. G. Saunders as Treasurer. Under their di- 
rection, a subscription list was circulated which insures an incomie of 
$3,800.00 annually for five years, to be spent on lake improvement. 

In 1913 and again in 1914, the Executive Council authorized the ap- 
propriation of $2,500.00 from the Fish and Game Fund for the same pur- 
pose. The work which has been done here is of particular interest be- 
cause it forms the first attempt at lake improvement which has been 
undertaken on a serious scale in the state. It is very easy to be over- 
optimistic regarding the cost of work of this character. Many difficulties, 
and delays develop in the actual dredging operations which are difficult 
to foresee. Here the work has actually been accomplished. 



108 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

So far, the work has been confined to the part of the lake between the 
C. R. I. & P. Ry. and the town. This part has an area of 94 acres. The 
work consists in deepening the lake, in forming- banks and beaches, and 
in reclaiming adjacent low land to form parks and drives. Two dredges 
have been employed. The dipper dredge has a wooden hull 60x24 feet in 
size. The dipper has a capacity of one and a half yards. This dredge 
moves parallel to the shore from fifty to a hundred feet out in the lake 
and throws up a dike of the most solid materials from the lake bottom 
to form the new shore. The dredge was built by Mr. L, J. Nutzman, 
her captain. The machinery used in her was nearly all second hand. 
She cost approximately $3,500. A new dredge of the same size would 
cost in the neighborhood of $10,000. 

The second dredge is of the suction type, without cutter head. Her 
hull is of wood 60x32 feet in size. The boiler is a 200 H, P. Scotch 
Marine type; the engine is a Ball cross compound of 150 H. P. This is 
connected by a rope drive to a 12-inch Morris sand pump. Her machinery 
was all new, and she cost, with 700 feet of discharge pipe, $12,000. She 
has an estimated capacity of 1,000 cubic yards a day. 

She follows behind the dipper dredge and fills in between the old 
bank and the new with the softer material which she sucks up from 
the lake bottom. 

Thirty dollars a day will cover the actual operating expense of either 
one of these machines. The cost of moving material, is given by those 
in charge, as varying from as high as 60 cents a yard, where sand was 
being washed out, to form a bathing beach, and the same material had 
to be handled several times, to as little as 8 or 10 cents a yard for the 
work on the eastern shore. It seems probable that the work this season 
will be handled a little cheaper, for perhaps 6 to 7 cents. These prices 
do not include any overhead charges, engineering, interest on money in- 
vested, or depreciation on the plant. 

In the five year period over which construction work will run, 
they plan to spend, roughly, about $100,000. for dredging, and for im- 
provements on shore. 

Recommendations . 

In the opinion of the Commission, the State will do well to contri- 
bute to this work as they have done heretofore, that is, $7,500. in three 
yearly installments. Following this, the State should dredge out a 
channel up the lake from the 'railroad, so that launches will be able to 
operate. The cost of this work is estimated at $65,000. making a total 
of $72,500. 

SILVER LAKE, PALO ALTO COUNTY. 

Lake No. 57. Survey made by the Fish and Game Department. Inspec- 
tion made August 9, 1916. 

Silver Lake occupies parts of sections 18, 19, 20, 21, 28, and 29 of 
township 95 north, range 34 west. It is located six miles south of Ruthven 
and fifteen miles southwest of Emmetsburg. Ayrshire on the C. R. I & 
P. Ry. is two miles east of the lake. Lost Island Lake is nine miles to 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION L09 

the north. Kusli Lake five miles to t lie south. A county road skirts the 
lake on the south, and township roads follow the north and east hanks 
very closely. 

This is a beautiful sheet of open water from five to seven feet in depth 
The hanks for nearly their entire length, are high, and a. fringe of 
natural timber skirts the shore, widening out into good sized groves 
in places. A number of bathing beeches extend out into the lake. There 
are several small areas of slough land on the south and east which can 
not be drained with the lake at its present elevation. 

The survey shows the lake to have an area of 667 acres. The gov- 
ernment meander encloses 638 acres. The drainage area consists of 
7,120 acres of land. 

There are no summer resorts on the lake. One private park furnishes 
picnic grounds for the people who congregate here on Sundays. Gooa 
camp sites are plenty and now that the water is up, the lake will doubt- 
less be used more than in the past. 

The fishing has not been good for the past two years, but no reason 
appears why it should not once more become as good as in any of the 
smaller lakes. Hunters from the surrounding country report the shoot- 
ing as fair though the lack of cover prevents this being as good a duck 
lake as is Rush Lake five miles farther south. 

On the whole, the water supply is very satisfactory. One large drain- 
age ditch enters from the north. Several lines of tile outlet at different 
points around the shore. Three small springs are to be found hear the 
west end. At a farm just west of the lake, there is a flowing well. 

The outlet is to the southeast, through Silver Creek to the Des Moines 
Kiver. The Fish and Game Department has built a dam at the outlet 
which holds the water at what seems to be a fair level. There are, of 
course, some people who would like to see the lake lowered and others 
who as stoutly maintain that it should be raised. 

The greater part of the bottom is of mud and quantities of wild 
celery and water grasses are found in places. 

There is very little complaint either as to the black birds or the 
mosquitoes. The local sentiment is all in favor of the retention of the 
lake. 

Recommendations. 

The Commission recommends that the lake be preserved and that the 
State purchase land for a park fronting on the water. The estimated 
cost is $3,500.00. 

RUSH LAKE, PALO ALTO COUNTY. 

Lake No. 58. Survey made by order of the Executive Council. Inspec- 
tion w,ade September 28, 1916. 

This lake occupies parts of sections 20 and 21 in township 94 north, 
range 34 west. The towns of Curlew and Mallard on the C. R. I. & P. 
Ry. are distant eight and nine miles respectively to the east. Webb, in 
Clay County is seven miles to the west. Silver Lake is five miles to the 



110 



LAKES AND LAKE' BEDS OF IOWA 



north and Pickerel Lake four miles to the southwest. A township road 
touches the lake on the west. 

Rush Lake is at present little more than a marsh. The water is not 
more than three feet deep. Rushes and other water plants cover nearly 
all of the water surface, though occasional small patches of open water 
appear. 

The banks are nearly all high and considerable hard wood timber is 
found on the south, east and west shores, as well as many willows. 
These banks all bear witness to the fact that sometime in the past, the 
water stood from a foot and a half to two feet above its present level. 

On the south, one slough of perhaps forty acres in extent, and which 
is only slightly higher than the lakes, breaks through the banks and 
drains into the lake. This is the only low land of importance which is 
tributary and depends for its drainage on the lake. 

In its present state, the only value that the lake has is as a hunting re- 
sort. Several shooting camps have been put up along the western shore. 




Fig. 41 — Rush Lake, Palo Alto County. Rush Lake is of the marsh type, the lake bed 
being filled with vegetable growth. It has an area of nearly a square mile. 



The lake affords cover and feeding grounds for ducks, while the shelter 
on the shores should make it a good nesting place. This conclusion is 
borne out by the fact that moTe ducks were seen here than at any other 
lake visited during this investigation. 

The principle inlet is through a dredge ditch which comes in from the 
west and drains Mud Lake and considerable surrounding farming coun- 
try in Clay County. 

The outlet at the time of the examination (Aug. 1916) was a stream 
of water perhaps twelve feet wide and six inches deep in the middle, 
known as Lizard Creek. This winds away to the east and empties into 
the Desi Moines River. Its fall is light for the first three miles. An 
outlet could be had four miles below the lake. 

The bottom of the lake is of silt and decaying vegetable matter over- 
lying gravel and clay. In common with most of Iowa's smaller lakes, 
this one went entirely dry in 1894. The outlet is very broad and storm 
water passes off rapidly instead of being stored. There is doubtless 
some ground for the complaint that the water 1 gets stagnant and gives* 
off disagreeable odors during the latter part of the summers. 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 



111 



Mosquitoes were no more numerous than in other parts of the state. 
No black birds were seen in the time spent in making the examination, 
although they are probably numerous at some seasons of the year. 

Legal Status. 

A petition for the drainage of this lake was made to the Executive 
Council in 1911, and a survey as required by law, was made. This survey 
showed the lake as having an area of 460 acres. The government 
meander enclosed 500.6 acres. 

In December of 1912, the Council decided that the drainage of the 
lake should be denied, and that a dam which would raise the water a 
foot, should be built at the outlet. 

The question of drainage was re-opened in 1913. A second hearing 
was had, and in 1914, drainage was authorized. 

Soon after this time, the present law went into effect, and no opera- 




Fig. 42 — Rush Lake, Palo Alto County. Rush Lake is one of the Iowa lakes which 
for the time being, has been saved by the Iowa lake bed survey law. Per- 
mission for the drainage of the lake bed had been granted by the State Execu- 
tive Council but work had not started at the time the new law was passed. 

tions leading toward drainage have been undertaken. The cost of an 
outlet has been estimated at $14,000.00. In the neighborhood of 2,000 
acres of wet land, (including the lake) will be benefitted. 

Recommendations . 

This Commission is of the opinion that the lake should be retained, 
and that a dam should be constructed at the outlet which will raise the 
lake to its old shore line. The estimated cost is $1,400. 



LOST ISLAND LAKE, PALO ALTO AND CLAY COUNTIES. 

Lake No. 59. Survey made by State Highway Commission. Inspection 
made Augxist 9, 1916. 

Lost Island Lake is situated in sections 5 and 6, township 96 north, 
range 34 west, sections 31 and 32, township 97 north, range 34 west, 



112 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



section 1, township 96 north, range 35 west and section 36, township 
97 north, range 35 west. It is thirteen miles west of Emmetsburg and 
twelve miles east of Spencer. Trumbull Lake is about two miles west 
of Lost Island. Two good highways lead north from Ruthven on the 
C. M. & St. P. Ry. to the lake, the one to the east gives easy access to a 
very pleasant summer resort and hotel on the south side, the one on 
the west crosses the southwestern arm of the lake on an embank- 
ment and from thence leads to Round and Trumbull Lakes. A fairly 
good road skirts the northern shore. 

The water is of remarkably uniform depth throughout the main 
body of the lake. Twelve feet may be taken as an average. The 
part south of the highway is perhaps four feet deep, and considerable 
quantities of rushes are to be found there. Rushes are also found in 
the neighborhood of the inlet from the southeast that drains a large 




Fig. 43 — Lost Island Lake, Palo Alto County. Lost Island Lake is one of the prettiest 
of the small lakes of Iowa. It has an area of about one and one-half square miles. 
The shores are wooded. Roads touch the lake, giving access to it. Camping sites 
are, however, all on private property. 



area of slough whose bottom is from two to four feet below the water 
level of the lake. 

The banks are firm, high and in places fringed with timber. South 
of the highway embankment, however, while well defined, they are low 
and grass covered, and at the outlet they shade off into a long shal- 
low slough. 

The area of the lake is 1,076 acres. The area within the meander 
lines is 1,260 acres. The water shed consists of 5,900 acres. The 
original government survey included considerable more land on the 
north and southwest. In 1898 a new survey was authorized by the 
Department of the Interior. This survey was made by A. W. Barber, 
detailed from the land office, and some 1,230 acres of land in sections 



SURVEY OF INCH WAY COMMISSION LIS 

19, 20, 29 and 30 of township 97 north, range 34 west, and in sections 
25 and 3G, township 97 north, range 35 west, were disposed of. 

One summer resort is located on the southeast shore. Outside of 
the immediate neighhorhood the lake is little known, and it does not 
receive the attention to which it is entitled by its many charms. 

It is well supplied with fish. Perch, pickerel, bass and bull heads 
abound. During the last two years the fish and game department has 
shipped in pike and stocked the waters with these game fish as well. 

Altogether, the water supply may be said to be fairly satisfactory. 
No streams of any size enter the lake but the water level does not vary 
seriously. The present level, from all the testimony of old settlers, 
and from all indications along the shore, may be taken as a normal 
high water level. 

The outlet is to the southwest through a long slough into a creek 
which also serves as the outlet for Elks and Trumbull Lakes and Dan 
Green's Slough. 

Plans have been formulated for the digging of a consent ditch to 
drain the low land along the outlet. This will necessitate the erection 
of a dam to maintain the lake level. This dam should be built at 
the present lake outlet so as to preserve the shallow water south of 
the highway as a part of the lake. This area is about the only water 
suitable for spawning ground for fish, and should, by all means, be 
retained. Mud Lake on the north is several feet lower than Lost 
Island. At one point in section 30, the divide is merely a low ridge 
of loose sand pushed up by the ice. 

At present people of the vicinity are hauling considerable sand away 
from this bank. They are getting it above high water line and along a 
public highway, and are perhaps within their legal rights. At the same 
time this course of action if persisted in will form a serious menace to 
the lake. The ridge is very narrow and composed of material which will 
wash easily, if the water once gets started through. 

Recommendations. 

The Commission recommends that the lake be maintained and a per- 
manent concrete outlet be built. The highway embankment which crosses 
the lake cost© the township considerable for maintenance. It is suggested 
that an arrangement might be entered into by the state and the township 
whereby the highway could be relocated so as to cross the outlet near 
the old M. & St. L. embankment. This same fill could then be used as 
a dam. It is thought that this fill would not be subjected to as severe 
wave action as is the present road and that the state and the township 
would each pay their part of the upkeep. The estimated cost of con- 
struction is $15,200. The purchase of a park fronting on the lake is 
recommended at an estimated cost of $4,000. 



114 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

VIRGIN LAKE, PALO ALTO COUNTY. 

Lake No. 60. Survey made by order of the Executive Council. Inspec- 
tion, made August 9, 1916. 

Virgin Lake is situated in sections 29 and 30 of township 96, range 34. 
Kuthven, a town of seven hundred people, on the C, M. & St. P. Py., is 
the nearest railroad point, and is only two miles away in a direct line. 
From this point, good roads lead to the south shore of the lake. Lost 
Island Lake is about four miles directly north. 

This is a beautiful, little body of clear, open water lying among the 
hills. The banksi are high and timbered on the east. On the west the 
banks are lower, and one big bay terminates in a slough. The water is 
from five to eight feet deep, and almost free from any plant growth. Two 
or three timbered islands add to the beauty of the scene. 

While the government survey gives an area of 192 acres, the true area 
is 200 acres. The meander does not fit the present outlines of the lake 
on the southwest. 

There are no resorts of any kind maintained along its shores. Hunting 
parties frequently visit the locality during the shooting season, and the 
low lands just south of the lake are considered good duck grounds. 
Almost any summer day, fishermen are found scattered along the banks. 
The lake has never been stocked but large strings of the ordinary pan 
fish, reward their efforts. 

The water shed is small, yet so far as could be learned froni inquiry, 
the lake has never gone dry nor suffered as much from a lack of water 
as have many of the smaller lakes. 

A narrow marshy creek leading away to the north, is the outlet. This 
empties into a ditch which drainsi Elbow Lake. .There is enough fall so 
that Virgin Lake could easily be drained. Neighboring people have built 
a rough masonry dam where the creek leaves the lake. 

Black silt forms the lake bottom. This rests on the clays and gravels 
peculiar to the Wisconsin drift. 

Legal Status. 

Application for the drainage of Virgin Lake was made to the Execu- 
tive Council in 1905, at the same time that the drainage of Elbow Lake 
was authorized. A survey and report were made, as required by law. 
This report recommended the drainage of Elbow Lake and the preserva- 
tion of Virgin Lake. 

The desire for drainage seems to have grown from the fact that the 
road across the swamp south of the lake is expensive to maintain, and 
that a school house standing south of the lake, can only be reached from 
the north by a rather round about road. 

Recommendations . 

In the opinion of the Commission, this lake should be retained. The 
state should purchase sufficient land on its banks to serve as a public 
park. The estimated cost is $3,500.00. 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 115 

CLEAR LAKE, POCAHONTAS COUNTY. 

Lake \o. 61. Survey made by the State Highway Commission. Inspec- 
tion modi Septt mbei i9, 1916. 

This lake is located in sections 5 and 6, township 91 north, and sec- 
tions 31 and 32, township 92 north, range 34 west. It lies eleven miles 
directly west of Pocahontas, and about six miles southeast of Albert City. 

Storm Lake is twenty-one miles to the southwest, Silver Lake in Palo 
Alto County is twenty miles to the north. A highway follows the eastern 
bank for a considerable distance and renders the lake easy of access to 
hunters or picnic parties. 

The water is five feet deep. The bottom is of mud and the lake is so 
badly grown up to rushes and moss that it is nearly impossible to row 
a boat. These rushes are reported as having grown within the last three 
or four years. E'efore that time, the water was very much more open. 
The banks are high. Three or four groves at farm houses border on the 
lake, and in part make up for a lack of natural timber. There is no wet 
land along the shore that would make the drainage of the lake advisable 
to supply an outlet. 

At the time of the survey, the area was 165 acres. The area included 
by the government meander was 187 acres. The water shed has an area 
of 522 acres. 

People residing in the vicinity say that until a few years ago, the lake 
was a nice sheet of open water, and a popular place for picnics. In its 
present condition, it is used only for hunting, and as an outlet for a 
few small drains. 

The water level of this lake varies as does that of most of the small 
lakes of the State. During dry periods, the w 7 ater becomes very low and 
the lake is regarded as something of a nuisance. In normal years, it fills 
up again and forms a very pleasant outing place for the community. 

As will be seen from the map, Cedar Creek loops in to within twelve 
hundred feet of the lake on the northeast. It has been proposed that this 
stream be diverted to form a water supply for the lake. At thisi point, 
the water in the creek is six feet below the lake. A canal could be con- 
structed which w r ould divert the creek water and bring it into the lake, 
by going back up stream more than two miles. 

The county board is considering deepening the channel of Cedar Creek, 
and this would necessitate moving the intake even farther up stream. 
Moreover, this creek goes dry just at the time when the lake most needs 
water so that such a plan is not to be recommended. 

The outlet is to the southwest through a line of tile to an open ditch, 
down Cedar Creek to the Coon River. A concrete dam has been con- 
structed at the outlet by local parties. At the time of the inspection, 
this dam was in bad shape. A great deal of water was escaping througn 
the gravel under the dam, and through a large crack in the structure 
itself. There is a fall of eight feet in eight hundred from the dam to 
the open ditch. 

The citizens of Albert City and of Varina are very much interested, 



116 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

and anxious to co-operate in any improvements which seem practicable. 
Recommendations . 

The Commission recommends that the lake be retained. As a first step 
toward improvement, a new dam should be put in at the outlet which 
will raise the water a foot above the level maintained by the old one. 
This can be done with scarcely any damage to property. Such a dam 
will store considerable water in the spring, and aid in taking care of the 
summer's evaporation. Its estimated cost will be $600.00. 

Forty acres of the lake should be dredged to a depth which will enable 
fish to winter comfortably. The cost of this work may be estimated at 
$75,000. 

Sufficient land can be made from the spoil to provide a park of 
good size. 

LIZARD LAKE, POCAHONTAS COUNTY. 

Lake No. 62. Survey made by the Executive Council. Inspec- 
tion wade September 29, 1916. 

Lizard Lake occupies parts of sections 22 and 27 in township 91 north, 
range 31 west. Twin Lakes in Calhoun County are twenty miles to the 
southeast. Silver Lake in Palo Alto County is about forty-five miles to 
the northwest. Clear Lake in Pocahontas County is twenty-five miles to 
the west. The City of Ft. Dodge is twenty miles to the southeast. 
Pocahontas is perhaps fourteen miles to the northwest. 

The lake creates a very favorable impression on first sight and one 
wonders why it is not more used and more appreciated. The water is 
open and free from the vegetation that detracts from the beauty of so 
many of Iowa's lakes. From three to four feet seems to be the average 
depth, although the people Of the neighborhood report five feet in places. 

On the east are two groves of native timber. On the south a fringe 
of trees follows the bank. In several places the shores show clean 
gravel beaches. The banks are high nearly all the way around the 
lake, but both on the east and west, there are considerable areas of 
land at about the water level. These drain into the lake through nar- 
row openings in the banks, and would, of course, be flooded, should 
the lake level be raised. Several tile from surrounding farm lands, 
empty into the lake, but little above its present level. 

As things are at present the lake is scarcely used at all. A little 
hunting is done, but there is not enough cover to make it a good lake 
for ducks. The water is too shallow for fish to winter safely, though 
all of the common varieties are caught at times. 

The area of the lake is 251 acres. The area enclosed by the meander 
is 268 acres. The water shed consists of 1,320 acres. This lake is 
subject to the same limitations which affect the other shallow lakes of 
the state. 

In normal years it is very pretty little sheet of open water. With 
a succession of dry years,' the water shed is not large enough 
to keep up the water level. Eight years out of ten it should serve 
the public well as a pleasure resort. The outlet is from the north 



SURVEY OF IIICIIWAY COMMISSION 11? 

and west, through a stream that bends around to the northeast and 
empties into Lizard Creek. The tall is about twenty-six feet in a 
mile. 

The bottom is reported to be hard, largely clay and gravel. The 
fact that rushes have never gained a foothold, indicates that the dep- 
osition of silt has not advanced as far here as in many other lakes. 

Legal Status?. 

In 1913 the Executive Council was asked to take action regarding 
the leasing of the lakebed. A survey and report were made by W. B. 
Warrington, County Engineer. A second petition was made to the 
Executive Council asking authority to build a dam at the outlet. 
Owners of adjoining property objected vigorously to the raising of the 
lake level, because of the damage which would be caused to land and 
to existing drainage systems. 

Recommendations. 

The Commission believes that a lake in this location will serve as 
an outing place for a large number of people who at present are 
without opportunities for this kind of enjoyment. They, therefore, 
recommend that the lake be preserved, and that a dam which will 
control the water level, be put in at the outlet. The estimated cost 
is $700.00. They also recommend that 40 acres of the lake be dredged 
and that the spoil be used to fill one of the sloughs if one of these 
can be purchased to advantage, or if not, that land be made in what 
is now the lake bed. This made land should be planted to trees and 
used as a public park. The cost of dredging is estimated at $75,000. 
The cost of tree planting and of obtaining a road ' is estimated at 
$1,800.00. 

WALL LAKE, SAC COUNTY. 

Lake No. 63. Surt-ey made by the Civil Engineering Department, Ames, 
Iowa. Inspection made August 10,' 1916. 

Wall Lake occupies parts of sections 2, 3 and 4 in township 8 6 
north, range 36 west and of sections 33, 34 and 35 of tcwnship 87 
north, range 36 west. Lake View, a town of 800 people on the C. 
X. W. Ry. is just west of the lake. The town of Wall Lake is four 
miles southwest. Storm Lake is thirty miles northwest. Twin Lakes 
in Calhoun County are twenty-eight miles northeast. Township roads 
touch the lake on the north, south and east, and make it easy of 
access by automobiles. 

The lake is about two and a half miles in length east and west 
and varies in width from one-half mile to something more than a 
mile. The depth averages between six and seven feet. The banks 
are in general from five to fifteen feet high except at the extreme east- 
ern end where the land drops away rapidly from the lake draining 
towards Indian Creek, and at the extreme southwest corner at which 
the inlet enters. The only low land which cannot be drained is sit- 
uated along the inlet. 



118 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

The area of the lake is 923 acres; the meander encloses 957 acres, 
The area of the water shed, 3,616 acres. 

This lake is quite famous as an outing place, there being three 
different resorts around the shores. Lakewood Park on the north 
shore is perhaps the largest and best known. There are here some 
fifty summer cottages together with a hotel and the usual layout of 
summer resort amusements. Cottage Grove at the east end of the 
lake comprises some twenty cottages, together with a hotel and other 
amusements. Provost Park on the south shore consists of some twelve 
or fifteen cottages. There are also three or four cottages at the west 
end of the lake in the city of Lake View. A line of steamers carry 
passengers back and forth over the lake in the summer season. 

Fishing is considered good; all the ordinary varieties being taken. 

During average years the water supply is as satisfactory as at the 
other lakes in the state. There occurs occasional series of dry years 
when the run-off from the surrounding land does not equal the 
evaporation from the lake's surface. At such times, the water level 
may not rise as high as the top of the outlet dam for two or three years. 

Wall Lake outlets to the northeast, through Indian Creek to the 
Coon River. The summer resort known as "Cottage Grove", occupies 
a small hill on the east shore of the lake. North and south of this 
hill is low ground, which in former years was subject to overflow. 

The state has made appropriations amounting to $4,000.00 for im- 
provement of this outlet. The work was carried on under the direc- 
tion of Mr. Geo. A. Lincoln, then in charge of the Fish and Game 
Department. A concrete outlet dam and fishway were built, and an 
earth embankment thrown up across the low places north and south 
of Cottage Grove. These embankments were originally sixteen feet 
wide on top, and averaged about three feet high, with a maximum 
height of perhaps six feet. The embankment on the south was well 
protected by willows, and is in good shape today. The part to the 
northeast is more exposed to wave and ice action and cuts badly. The 
top of the embankment is used as a road and carries a heavy traffic, 
especially during summer months, as it furnishes the only means of 
reaching Cottage Grove. Cars coming from the direction of Carroll, 
also use this route instead of the longer one through Wall Lake. 

Some means should be found to widen these fills out to a standard 
roadway. They are now so narrow as to be dangerous when cars meet. 
The township trustees have no funds with which to do the work. 

The inlet is a creek having its source in Carroll County, being 
quite a small stream until within about two miles of the lake, at which 
point, it comes practically to the lake level and widens out into what is 
really an arm of the lake, varying from 100 to 200 feet wide. 

The soil at the bottom of the lake is about three feet of black mud, 
under which there is a layer of snail and other shells. With the ap- 
paratus in hand, it was impossible to go deeper than this, but the country 
surrounding is quite largely gravel, and it is to be expected that the lake 
also is underlain by gravel. 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 119 

Special Problem. 

Some effort was made to ascertain whether it would be possible to 
augment the water supply of the lake at times of low water. There are 
two possibilities, one of which is pumping from Indian Creek, which at 
the nearest point, lies about one-half or three-quarters of a mile to the 
north. Indian Creek is some twenty feet below the lake level, and the 
hill between the lake and the creek is nearly twenty feet high in the 
low places so that it would be necessary in starting, to pump against a 
forty foot head in order to bring water from Indian Creek into the lake. 
Persons who have lived in this vicinity a number of years, say that they 
have never seen Indian Creek entirely dry. In this connection, it should 
be noted that the City of Lake View is extending its sewer system and 
is building a septic tank near Indian Creek at a point about one-quarter 
of a mile up stream from the point at which it would be best to pump 
water for the lake supply. For this reason, the water supply is not con- 
sidered acceptable. 

Another possible source of water supply is mentioned in a report by 
a member of the staff of the United States Department of Agriculture 
dealing with the drainage of what is known as "The Goose Pond." This 
pond is a large flat area better than a mile north and south, and some 
three miles or more east and west, lying immediately to the south and 
partly in the town of Wall Lake. Into this large flat area, streams run 
from nearly all directions. It has two outlets, one to the west into the 
Boyer River, and the other to the east through the inlet into Wall Lake. 
Of the streams which empty into this Goose Pond, two are known as 
Lime Creek and Klitzke Creek. It is suggested in the report above re- 
ferred to, that it would be feasible to divert water from both of these 
creeks into the lake. 

Upon inquiry and examination, it appears that Klitzke Creek is not a 
creek at all but simply a sort of valley down which the water runs in 
time of rain, but which is dry the greater part of the time. Lime Creek 
carries water except in extremely dry times but not a very large stream. 
Klitzke Creek drains 3,320 acres of land; Lime Creek about 7,680 aores. 

Moreover, while it is possible to divert these streams and cause them 
to discharge into Wall Lake, the advantage of so doing does not appear 
proportional to the expenditures which would be necessary. The largest 
amount of run-off from the areas drained by them, will reach the lake 
in the sp<ring, and unless the dam is raised so as to store the water, it 
will simply pass on down the outlet. 

Recommendations. 

The Commission recommends that the lake be preserved and that the 
dike at the outlet be widened to a standard road section and protected 
with riprap. The cost of so doing is estimated at $4,200.00. They further 
recommend that a park be purchased fronting on the lake. The estimated 
cost is $S,000.00. 



120 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

DU'GK LAKE, WINNEBAGO COUNTY. 

Lake No. 61[. Survey made by State Highway Commission. Inspection 
made June 14, 1916. 

Duck Lake occupies parts of sections 20 and 21 of township 100 north, 
range 24 west. Forest City is about seventeen miles to the south. Lake 
Mills about twelve miles to the southeast. The nearest lakes are Silver 
in Worth County, fourteen miles to the east, and Crystal in Hancock 
County, twenty-two miles to the southwest. It is most easily reached 
by driving from Scarville which is located on the C. & N. W. Railway. 
No public highway touches the lake. A private road from the north 
affords the only means of access with vehicles, 

The first impression gained of the lake is generally not a favorable 
one. The water is shallow, three-fourths grown up to rushes, and is 
dotted here and there with muskrat houses. Three and a half feet was 
the deepest water found. 

The banks on the south and northeast are steep, on the west a low 
flat ridge separates the lake from a large swamp area which drains away 
from the lake. A large grove of native timber is located on the eastern 
shore. The area at the time of the survey was 77 acres. The area inside 
the meander lines is 72 acres. The area tributary to the lake is 421 acres. 

At present the lake is used only for hunting and trapping. Its rather 
secluded location and the shelter both in the lake and around the shores 
makes it a favorite resort for ducks and many of them summer there. 
The water freezes so deep during the winter that few if any fish are 
found. 

The outlet is to the southeast through a dredge ditch to Lime Creek. 
The ditch has very little fall and is badly silted" up. The ditch is not 
directly connected to this lake, and at the time of the examination, the 
water in the lake which stood about twelve inches below high water 
mark, was a little higher than the water in the ditch. An outlet could 
be obtained by dredging out the ditch for a distance of three or four 
miles. 

A considerable area of slough which nominally drains into the lake, 
lies to the southwest. This could be diked off from the lake and drained 
out the other way. Such a course of action would reclaim considerable 
land for private owners, but would rob the lake of almost exactly one- 
half of its drainage area. The water can easily be raised by increasing 
the height of a private roadway which crosses the outlet and providing a 
concrete spillway. In case this were done, it would be necessary to pur- 
chase the area of a slough spoken of before, or to dike it off. 

An examination of the lake bottom shows' it to be composed of silt 
and decaying vegetation, to a considerable depth. 

Recommendations . 

In the opinion of the Commission this lake should be retained and 
improved. A dam should be built at the outlet which will raise the 
water five feet and will act as a roadway across the outlet. The cost of 
such a dam is estimated at $2,800.00. Twenty acres of low land will be 



SURVEY OK IIICIIWAY COMMISSION 



121 



flooded and should be purchased. Twelve hundred dollars should paj 
for this kind of land. The dikes on the southwest can he built For 
twenty-live hundred dollars. In addition to this, some land should be 
purchased for a park and for a road leading to it. Four thousand dollars 
is a reasonable estimate to cover these items. 

BROWNS LAKE, WOODBURY COUNTY. 

Lake No. 65. Survey made by the State Highivay Commission. Inspec- 
tion made September 26, 1916. 

Brown's Lake is situated in sections 28, 29, 32 and 33 of township 
87 north, range 47 west. It is located two miles west of the town of 
Salix, on the Omaha Railway, and twelve miles south of Sioux City. 
Blue Lake at Onawa, eighteen miles to the south, is the nearest of 
Iowa's lakes. Two fair sized resorts, Bigelow's Park and Strand Park, 
have been erected on the east shore of the lake. Cottages and boats 




Fig. 44— Brown's Lake, Woodbury County. Brown's Lake is a popular resort for the 
people in the vicinity of Sioux City. It is an open body of water, covering nearly 
one and one-half square miles. This is a comparatively new lake, being a cut off 
bend of the Missouri River. There is good fishing. Access to the lake and its 
camping sites are all on private property. 



are kept for rent and various forms of amusement are furnished. Both 
places have a good patronage and are justly popular with people In 
this section of the state. 

Description. 

In general outlines, this lake resembles a great horseshoe. The 
eastern arm is open with a maximum depth of fourteen feet. The 
western arm and the northern portion are more shallow, and scat- 
tered patches of rushes dot their surfaces. On the north and east the 
banks are high. To the west, the banks are lower and in very few 
places, rise asi much as five feet above the water level. Some natural ' 
timber is found along the northeast and east shores. 

Hoover's Island is comparatively flat. The north end is composed 
of numerous sand hills and little ridges, which at the time of the sur- 



122 LAKES AND LAKE BEOS OF IOWA 

vey (in the spring of 1916) were surrounded by water. The water 
surface of the lake was, at that time, from one to two feet above its 
normal level. These sand hills are covered with scattered timber. 

The area at the time of survey was 840 acres. 

Two summer resorts are located on the lake shores. Cottages and 
boats are for rent, and provision has been made for all the usual forms 
of amusement, such as bathing and dancing. Fishing is reported to 
be good. All the common varieties of fish are caught in large num- 
bers. The lake is also a popular resort for hunters during the time 
when ducks are flying. The river forms a natural highway for them 
to follow in their migration and the tangled river bottom offers 
shelter and feeding ground. 

There are no streams feeding the lake and its watershed is very 
small. Like other lakes, characteristic of this part of the state, it 
seems likely that the main source of water supply is from ground 
water, which seeps in from the surrounding soils. The lake is so near- 
ly at the river level that it cannot be drained. 

The outlet is a sluggish creek which passes under the township 
road on the south shore of the lake and drains off through a series 
of swamps, to the river. About half a mile south of the lake a dike 
has been thrown across the outlet. Its top is two feet above the 
lake level, and perhaps three feet above the river (Sioux City gauge 
13.7). The dike stretches away for nearly a mile through the woods 
south of the lake. It was built by local people to keep the river 
from backing into the lake, but was cut this spring to let the water 
drain out. 

Legal Status. 

Brown's Lake will not be found among the original meandered 
lakes of the state. When the land was divided by the government 
surveyors, this body of water was connected to the river, and its out- 
side rim was meandered as the river's edge. The plats filed at that 
time show what is now the lake as a bayou. 

Since that time the river has moved to the south and to the west, 
leaving the old horse shoe shaped channel entirely isolated, except for 
a narrow creek which now serves as an outlet. It was not until 189 6 
that the Department of the Interior caused a new survey to be made 
by Hall, by whom, what is known as Hoover's Island; on the inside of 
the horseshoe was sub-divided into lots. 

There is some doubt as to the ownership of the bed of the lake. 
The question as to title should be carefully looked up before money is 
expended in the way of betterment. 

Recommendations. 

The Commission is of the opinion that a lake situated as is this 
one, will serve as an outing place for a large community, and should 
be owned by the state. The Commission recommends that steps be 
taken to determine the ownership, and that if necessary, the state 
enter into negotiations for the acquisition of the whole or a part of 
the lake, and of land bordering the lake, for a public park. 



SI1UVKY OF IIKJIIWAY COMMISSION 



L23 



SILVER LAKE, WORTH COUNTY. 

Lake No. 66. Survey made by the stale Highway Com mission. ///*/*<■<■- 
iion made June I ) 1916. 

Silver Lake occupies parts of sections 14 and 15, of township 100 
north, range 22 west. Forest City is twenty-six miles southwest; 
Northwood twelve miles southeast. It is most easily reached by driving 
from Emmons which is on the M. & St. L. Ry. 

This is one of the most attractive of Iowa's smaller lakes. The 
banks are high, and a naturally heavy growth of native timber has 
been preserved. The water is clear and open except in a few of 
the more shallow bays, and varies from four to six f^et in depth. 
There is one small area of low land at the west end of the lake which 




Fig. 45 — Silver Lake, Worth County. Silver Lake is an open body of water of about 
one-half square mile in extent. Along- its shore are found some of the most 
attractive native groves in the state. The water is of good depth. 



is enclosed by the meander. Aside from' this, there is very little 
slough land along its shores. 

The area of the lake is 310 acres. The meander encloses 318 acres. 
The water shed has an area of 2,160 acres, 320 of which are in 
Minnesota. 

Just across the state line are several of the best lakes for wild 
fowl shooting, in this part of the country. The ducks fly back and 
forth from those to Silver Lake, and the shooting there is especially 
good. 

Up until three years ago the fishing has always been fair. At that 
time the fish were killed by a severe winter. They are coming in 
again from the river, and in a year or two there will be plenty nior«. 

On the southeast shore is located one of the prettiest picnic grounds 
in the state. Large crowds from the surrounding country gather here 
for their annual day's outing. 

The water supply is fairly satisfactory, as Iowa's lakes go. The 
lake level varies perhaps two feet between wet and dry years. On 
the north a large slough connected to the lake by a ditch, is so little 
above its level that any attempt to raise the lake will flood it. 



124 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



The outlet is by way of a small creek which flows to the east and 
unites with the Shell Rock. Immediately below the lake and separat- 
ed from it only by a low ice-formed wall, is a slough which follows 
the outlet creek. The bottom is of silt which overlies the usual sandy 
clay. Old settlers say that before the prairies were broken up, the 
lake was sixteen feet deep, and had a gravel bottom. A pole can 
be pushed down through the silt without effort. 

Local sentiment is strongly in favor of keeping the lake. At the 




Fig. 46 — Silver Lake, ' Worth County. Hunting and fishing are good on Silver Lake. 
The outlet to the lake is soft and is cutting rapidly. A dam is needed at once to 
properly protect the "lake. 

same time, a great deal of opposition would develop against raising 
it. No complaint is made either of the blackbirds or mosquitoes. 

Recommendations . 

The Commission recommends that the lake be retained and that the 
state put in a permanent dam at the outlet, which, it is estimated, 
will cost $1,600. They also recommend that land for a public park 
be bought, fronting on the water. This will cost $3,500.00. 



CORNELIA LAKE, WRIGHT COUNTY. 

Lake A 7 o. 67. Sunvey made l-y the Civil Engineering Department, Ioiva 
State College. Inspection made June 15, 1916. 

This lake, frequently called Little Wall, is to be found in sections 
9 and 16, township 92 north, range 24 west. Just to the east is the 
village of Cornelia on the C. G. W. Railway. It is six miles northeast 
of Clarion, the county seat. Elm (Elin or Ellen) Lake lies less than 
a miles to the south. Big Wall Lake is about twelve miles directly 
south, and the Twin Sisters Lakes about four miles directly north. 
Clear Lake, easily reached by rail, is about thirty miles to the north- 
east. Township roads follow both the eastern and western shores 
closely, rendering it easily accessible for outing purposes. 

Speaking as a whole, the lake is rather a pleasing little body of 
water. The banks are high except to the south, and small patches of 



sruvKY OP highway COMMISSION 125 

timber are scattered here and there. About fifty per cent of the 
water surface is covered by rushes that gained a foothold during pre- 
ceding dry seasons. A few years ago the waters were stocked by the 
state and several bass weighing from two to three pounds were caught 
here during the season of 1915. Camping and picnic parties from 
Clarion and the surrounding country frequently take advantage of 
the opportunities here offered for a few days' outing. 

The water at present will average perhaps six feet in depth. The 
natural drainage is to the west over a saddle, three feet above the 
lake surface as it stands. Residents report that three or four times 
during the last twenty years, the lake has overflowed in this direc- 
tion to the White Fox ditch and so to the Des Moines River. An ex- 
amination of the shore locates ordinary high water mark about a foot 
below this level. Elm Lake, on the other hand, drains to the south- 
east into the Iowa River, and the divide between the two is very low. 

The bottom of the lake is of silt, underlayed by sand and clay. 
Seven or eight years ago when the lake bed was dry good hay and 
some corn was raised on parts of the bed. The area of the water 
surface at the time of the survey was 2 62 acres. The area within the 
meander line is 285 acres. 

Cornelia Lake lies directly on the divide between the Iowa and the 
Des Moines Rivers and its drainage area is very meager. The water 
shed has an area of 696 acres. 

Drainage for the area of slough land lying to the north can be 
obtained by pumping into the lake, or by a line of tile with cemented 
joints which would skirt the northwest corner of the lake and lead 
away to the west. 

The lake in its present shape is a very popular resort, and although 
subject to large fluctuations in water level with the wet and dry 
cycles, is not in need of immediate expenditures. 

Recommendation. 

The Commission's opinion is that this lake should be saved. At 
present no improvements, other than the purchase of land for a public 
park, are recommended. The estimate cost is $4,000.00. 

ELM LAKE, WRIGHT COUNTY. 

Lake No. 68. Survey made oy the Civil Engineering Department, Ames\, 
Town. Inspection made June 15, 1916. 

Elm Lake is to be found in sections 21, 22, 27 and 2 8 of township 
92 north, range 2 4 west. Cornelia Lake lies just to the north. Either 
one is easily reached from Cornelia on the C. G. W. Railway, or by 
driving from Clarion a distance of about six miles. 

The county road skirts the north end of the lake for a short distance. 
This is the only place where it can be reached except by crossing 
private property. Roads could easily be built to reach the lake from 
both the east and west along the line between sections 22 and 27 and 
between 21 and 28. On the east one-fourth mile of road will reach 



126 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

the township road; on the west one-half mile is needed to connect the 
lake to the county road. 

The character of the two lakes is much the same, though Elm Lake 
is not quite so deep as Cornelia Lake; the water varying from four to 
six feet in depth. At the present time, comparatively few rushes are 
to be found in Elimi Lake while Cornelia Lake is nearly half covered 
with a rank growth. 

The banks are low and grassy. A few clumps of willows are scattered 
along the shores, but good shade trees are lacking, and a grove of native 
timber would add much to the value of the lake for picnic parties. 

Several boat houses are maintained along the north shore by outside 
people, and are used as hunting lodges during the fall shooting. 

A number of tile outlet into the lake a foot or two above its present 
level. 

The area at the time of the survey was 429 . acres. The meander en- 
closed 463 acres. 1,639 acres of land are contained in the limits of the 
water shed. 

During ordinary years, this is a very pretty little lake and holds its 
level fairly well. It is reported to have been dry in 1894, and hay was 
raised on the northern half. The southern end was too sandy to pro- 
duce anything. Borings showed a layer of silt underlayed by gravel or 
clay. 

The outlet is to the southeast over ground two feet above the lake level, 
at the time of the survey, through a ditch to the Iowa River. There is 
abundant evidence to be found indicating that the lake at times, rises 
and overflows. 

The local sentiment seems to be in favor of the retention and. ultimate 
improvement of this lake in spite of the fact that large variations in 
water level are to be expected. 

Recommendations. 

In the opinion of the Commission, this lake should be retained. The 
outlet is not satisfactory, and a weir and embankment should be con- 
structed to regulate, in some measure, the lake level, and to allow the 
drainage of lands lying near the outlet. The estimated cost is $2,000. 
Forty acres of this lake should be deepened by dredging, at a cost of 
$77,000. Enough land will be made from the spoil, to form a public 
park. A roadway and the planting of trees will cost $4,000. 

WALL LAKE, WRIG-HT COUNTY. 

- Lake No. 69. Survey made by order of the Executive Council. Inspec- 
tion made August Jf, 1916. 

Wall Lake is situated in sections 2, 3, 10, 11, 14 and 15 of township 
90 north, range 24 west. It is located eleven miles southeast of Clarion 
and thirteen miles southeast of Eagle Grove. Elm Lake is ten miles to 
the north. Little Wall lake is twenty-three miles to the south. Town- 
ship roads encircle the lake, but only on the south do they approach near 
enough to allow a view of the water. 



Sl'KYKY OF IIICIIWAV COMMISSION 



1L'7 



The lake is an Irregular body of water which extends Eor nearly two 

miles in a mirth and south direction, and is perhaps a mile in width. 
The water at the north end is very shallow, near the south end it is per- 
haps five feet in depth. Most of the surface is covered with a rank 





Fig. 47 — Wall Lake, Wright County. Wall Lake is one of the famous hunting resorts 
of Iowa. It is rather shallow and is badly grown up with rushes. It covers an 
area of about one and a half square miles. 

growth of vegetation cut up by narrow channels of open water, through 

which a boat can he poled. On the south end there is a little open water. 

The depth varies from two to five feet. The banks around the east, 

south and west are well defined. On the northern end of the lake the 




Fig. 48 — Wall Lake, Wright County. There is a narrow fringe of trees around part of 
Wall Lake. On the southeast, there is a beautiful camp ground in which there 
are erected about a dozen permanent cottages. 



country is low and inclined to be wet. Natural timber grows on the east 
and south shores, and in places fringes the west shore. Two small, low 
sloughs lie close to the lake on the east side and during wet years some 



128 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



land on the north of the lake is valuable only for grazing. This area 
cannot well be drained without draining the lake bed. 

The lake has an area of 935 acres. The meander encloses 905 acres. 

A small pleasure resort and several cottages are found in the grove 
south of the lake. Fishing is reported as being fairly good the last three 
years. Good strings of perch and bullheads are caught. The lake has 
never been stocked with game fish and until deeper water is provided 
such a step will not be warranted. Hunters from the surrounding coun- 
ties use the lake during the open season. Considerable wild rice grows 
in its waters, which makes it a favorite feeding ground for ducks and 
geesie. Some ice for local consumption is cut during the winter months. 

Local testimony is to the effect that the lake bed was dry in 1894 and 
in 1901, as were other lakes of the state. No streams of any size enter 
the lake. The water shed is rather small. The outlet is to tjhe south 
through Buck Creek, a tributary to the Boone River. The creek has a 
fall of sixteen feet in the first two and a half miles below the lake. 

The bottom of the lake is a thick sheet of silt and decaying vegetable 
matter which overlies the glacial drift. 

Many blackbirds nest in the rushes over the water, and considerable 



BJ^ 


i ' ^^^ 


W . . : ■ 1 





Fig. 49 — Wall Lake, Wright County. This photograph shows the outlet for Wall Lake, 
with a portion of the wall or embankment pushed up by the ice. It is from this 
wall that the lake takes its name. 

complaint is made of their damage to crops on nearby farms. This ques- 
tion has been studied and reported upon in Part Two. 
Legal History. 

Application for drainage having been made, a survey and report, as 
required by law, were made in February, 1910. Drainage was denied. 
Recommendations . 

The Commission recommends that the lake be retained, and that a 
public park be purchased fronting on the shore. The estimated cost of 
such a park is $3,500. They further recommend that about forty acres in 
the south end be deepened so as to provide open water for boating and 
as winter quarters for fish. The estimated cost of this work is $75,000. 



SURVEY OF HIGHWAY COMMISSION 129 

TWIN SISTERS LAKE, WRIGHT COUNTY. 

Lake No. 70. Survey made by the Civil Engineering Department, Aims. 
Iowa. Inspection made June t5, t916. 

Twin Sisters Lake is situated in sections 28 and 29, township 9:i north, 
range 24 west. It is four miles west of Belmond, a town of 1,200 popula- 
tion on the Bstherville branch of the ( '., U. I. & P. Railroad. Little Wall 
Lake is about four miles to the south, and Twin Lakes in Hancock County 
about seven miles to the north. Township roads on the north and south 
sides render the lake easy to reach by team or car. 

The banks are rather abrupt to the north and west, but lower and in- 
clined to be marshy on the south. Very little native timber is found, but 
on the west, north and east, nice groves have been started around the 
farm houses on the lake banks. 

The water is about five feet deep and to a casual observer, appears to be 
open, but it is in reality filled with a growth of very fine water grass 
that makes it unfit for bathing and boating. 

The present area of the water surface is 100 acres. The area inside the 
meander line is 108 acres. The water shed has an area of 660 acres. 

The lake is something of a hunting resort during the fall. In summer 
numerous fishermen and picnic parties are encountered every pleasant 
day along the southern shore. The lake has never been stocked with 
fish, but good strings of bullheads are caught and, a few years ago, pick- 
erel were plentiful. One line of tile from the north empties into the 
lake at about the present water level. 

Like several otiher lakes of the state this one lies right on top of the 
divide. Its water shed is very small. An artificial supply can be obtained 
by pumping from wells, but such a project would not be justified at 
present. 

Flood waters pass to the southeast through a pond down a broad 
valley toward the Iowa River. The elevation of the ground at the outlet 
is two feet above the present water surface. This, by indications along 
the shore and testimony of the old residents, may be considered ordinary 
high water level. 

The bottom is silt and decayed vegetable matter which would make 
good farm land if properly drained. 

The water could be raised a foot or more by dyking off the small area 
of swamp land to the south. An outlet for this area can be obtained 
through the saddle just south of the road. 

The general local opinion seems to be in favor of retaining the lake, 
although it is by no mean unanimous. Objections to the lake seem to be 
based more on the conduct of the hunters and fishermen who frequent 
it, than from a desire for drainage for its own sake. 

Recommendations. 

In the opinion of the Commission, the State should build a concrete 
culvert at the outlet. This, with the earth work, will cost $1,200.00. 
Land fronting on the lake should be purchased for a public park and a 
grove planted on it. This will cost $2,500.00. 
9 



PART TWO 

Report of crop surveys in the vicinity of various lakes, to ascer- 
tain the damage resulting from blackbirds. Prepared by Farm 
( !rops Section of the Agricultural Experiment Station, Iowa State 
College, under the direction of Prof. H. D. Hughes. Field exam- 
inations by Messrs. Clyde McKee, F. S. Wilkins, D. H. Zentmire, W. 
R. 1 techier. J. A. Krall and II. D. Hughes, including a chapter on 
Pood and Nesting Habits of Blackbirds, by Prof. II. A. Scullen, 
Department of Zoology. 



[INVESTIGATION OF CROP INJURY i:::: 



CHAPTER ONE — REPORT OF FARM CROP SURVEYS 



In nearly every case in which the drainage of one of Iowa's lakes has 
heen petitioned, the great damage to crops caused by blackbirds, which 
congregate in the vicinity of the lake has been set forth as one of the 
principal reasons why drainage was petitioned. It is a matter of com- 
mon knowlege that several different kinds of blackbirds nest near lakes 
and sloughs and that the birds congregate in great flocks just before 
their fall migration to the South. The actual amount of damage for 
which these birds are responsible is not so well known, and estimates 
of its extent differ greatly on farms that are side by side. With a view 
of ascertaining how serious this damage is, the Farm Crops Section of 
the Agricultural Experiment Station of the State College, under the 
direction of Prof. H. D. Hughes, undertook an examination of the farm 
crops in the vicinity of four typical marshy lakes. Messrs. Clyde ]Vh> 
Kee, F. S. Wilkins, D. H. Zentmire, W. R. Hechler, J. A. Krall and 
H. D. Hughes, made the field examinations. 

Time of Examinations. 

In the vicinity of Wall Lake in Wright County examinations were 
made about the middle of June and the last of September, 1915, and in 
November, 1916. Near Trumbull Lake in Clay County, the crops were 
examined in June, August and October, 1915. Trips were made to Goose 
Lake in Greene County in June, July and October, 1915, and in October, 
1916. Examinations of crops near Muscatine Slough in Muscatine and 
Louisa Counties were made in June and September, 1915. 

Areas Examined. 

In each vicinity many different farms were visited. Some of these 
lay very close to the lakes, others were back at distances varying from 
one-quarter mile to four miles from the lake shore. By so doing, it is 
believed that fair and representative results have been obtained. The 
locations of the fields examined are shown on the maps which occom- 
pany the records in Chapter Two. 

Method of Making Examinations. 

The examinations in each vicinity have consisted of interviews with 
the farm operators, and of actual counts of dalmage found in the fields. 
In the interviews with farm operators, a carefully prepared list of ques- 
tions was used in every case. These questions were -so arranged as- to 
bring out the operator's knowledge of the kind and number of black- 
birds which visited his farm during the different seasons, the damage 
they caused to small grain and to corn at different stages in their growth, 
and his estimate of the loss he sustained through their agency. In the 
spring examination counts were made of the hills of corn destroyed by 



134 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA. 



blackbirds. Damage is done by the blackbirds digging small holes be- 
side the young corn plants just after they have come through the ground 
and from then on, until they are an inch or two high. The birds do this 
to obtain the kernel and the stalk of corn is incidently destroyed. 

The damage to standing corn when it is in the roasting ear stage is 
done by the birds tearing the husks from the tips of the ears and picking 
off the immature kernels. The ears which are erect at this time, offering 
a place for the birds to stand upon, suffer the most. In a wet fall, the 
damage amounts to more than the corn actually taken by the birds be- 
cause the open husks catch the rain and the water rots the corn. 

During the fall examinations, the amount of damage in each field was 




Fig. SO — Wall Lake, Wright County. This photograph shows a huge flock of black- 
birds over Wall Lake. Many blackbirds are to be found around the lake during 
the entire summer, but it is in the fall when they gather into flocks, as shown in 
the picture, that they do the most damage to farm crops. 



usually estimated by walking through the field from a farther edge to- 
ward the grove and buildings, counts being made at different points. In 
each count all damaged ears were counted on an area 25 hills in length 
and 4 hills wide. Any ear which was picked on the tip the least bit 
was counted as damaged. The percentage of damaged ears in the field, 
was figured from an actual count of the per cent stand, but averaged 
about 2-50 stalks in each 100 hill area. From counts of stand made in 
the different corn fields, this seemed to be a fair average stand. 

In Chapter Two, the numbers used in the schedules correspond with 
the numbers on the maps, and indicate the location of the fields where 
such counts were made. 



INVESTIGATION OF CROP INJURY 



i:;r, 



Conclusions. 

A study of the data in Chapter Two, Schedules ?, to 17, leads to four 
conclusions: 

First, that there is a certain amount of damage done to corn at about 
the time it is coming through the ground, but that this damage is slight 
and is confined to very limited areas near where the blackbirds nest. 

Second: The examination of a large number of fields of small grain, 
indicate that the damage from blackbirds, is practically all confined to 
the time when grain is in the shock, that this damage is serious only 
when the shocks stand in the field for a long time, and is confined to 
small areas located close to groves, sloughs or patches of sunflowers. 




Fig. 51 — Goose L,ake, Greene County. Study of the photograph will show the tips 
of four ears of corn, badly damaged by blackbirds. The crop damage is not con- 
fined to the few kernels destroyed on the tips of the ears. Water often enters 
where the husks are stripped back, and the entire ear is injured by rotting. 
Grain buyers, it is claimed, are accustomed to dock the corn grown in the vicinity 
of Goose Lake from 1 to 2 cents per bushel. 



Within the territory one mile from the lake, this damage does not aver- 
age more than one dollar per acre. 

Third: The amount of damage to corn in the milk varies not only 
with the distance of the field from a lake or slough, but with its 
distance from a grove. 

Fourth: An average of all the examinations, shows that on farms 
within one-half mile of the lakes in question, 13.2% of the ears were dam- 
aged. On farms from one-half to two miles from the lakes, an average of 
5.7% of ears were damaged. On farms more than two miles from a 
lake, 1.6% of the ears were damaged. 

It is to be understood that these figures represent the percentage of 
ears damaged, not the damage to the crop. Counts show than an average 



136 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA. 




Fig. 52— Wall Lake, Wright County. A group of badly damaged ears of corn from 
the vicinity of Wall Lake. These ears were selected for the special purpose of 
showing damage and it must not be thought that all of the corn in the fields 
adjoining the lake is so badly damaged. 




Fig. S3 — Goose Lake, Greene County. These. five ears of corn are fairly representative 
of the most severely damaged corn which could be found in the vicinity of Goose 
Lake at the time the inspection was made. 



INVESTIGATION OF CROP 1N.JIKY 



L37 



of 20 kernels are destroyed on each ear. As the average ear of corn 

has 1,000 kernels, 20/1000 or 1 50 of the corn on the damaged ears is 
destroyed. Since 13/100 ot the ears were damaged, l/50xl3-100==l-:'.N I 

of the crop is destroyed. The average yield of corn per acre during 

the last 10 years has been 34.4 bushels, which has sold at 46.6 

cents per bushel. On this basis, the average loss per acre is a little more 
than four cents. 

Fields close to a lake or a grove, or a field planted either 
very early or very late, suffer much greater loss than these aver- 
age figures indicate. From the damage done in the spring, the 
loss of seed corn is a small matter as compared to the annoy- 
ance and expense incidental to replanting small portions of a 
field. The tall damage also to certain fields of parts of fields is 
several times that indicated by the average figures. Take for 
example a field near Goose Lake in Greene County where a 
count in one particular place, showed 75% of the ears damaged, 
and probably three-fourths of the kernels on these ears de- 
stroyed. %x%.=9/16 of the crop destroyed. If this particular 
acre gave a yield of 50 bushels and the corn sold at 60 cents 
a bushel, the actual loss would amount to approximately $17.00 
on this one acre. 

There is also a loss wet years, due to the entrance of water, 
and the rotting of the ear. If the corn were sold, the loss 
would be still further increased, due to the fact that such grain 
would grade lower than would the average crop. Taking all 
these factors into account, it does not seem probable that even 
the most unfavorably situated farm ever suffers a damage to the 
corn crop, which will exceed one hundred dollars a year. 



CHAPTER TWO — EXAMINATION OF CROPS IN THE VICINITY OF 
WALL LAKE, WRIGHT COUNTY, 1915 



SCHEDULE 3. 
Showing Percentage of Damaged Ears on All Farms Visited Within Half 

Mile of a Lake. 



No. of Farm 


Percentage Ears 
Damaged 


Distance from 


Grove 


2 


34.0 


Y% mile 




3 


0.0 


(Late 


Corn) 


5 


30.0 


Yz mile 






0.0 


Y2 mile (Late 


Corn") 


8 and 9 


30.5 


Yi mile (Late 


Corn) 


10 


0.0 


Ys mile (Late 


Corn) 


19 


29.2 


Y2 mile 






18.8 


Y2 mile 






0.0 


Y2 mile (Late 


Corn) 


Average 


15.8 


.3 mile 





138 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



SCHEDULE 4. (WALL LAKE 1915.) 

Showing Percentage of Damaged Ears on All Farms Visited From One- 
Half to Two Miles From Lake. 



No. of Farm 


Distance from Lake 


Approx. 
Ears 


Percentage 
Damaged 


Distance from Grove 


1 


1 mile 




1.5 


Next 


4 


1 mile 




1.5 


Next 


6 


34 mile 




29.2 


Next 


11 


1 mile 




0.0 


/ 2 mile *Late 


12 


V/ 2 mile 




0.0 


/x mile - 


13 


V/ 2 mile 




0.0 


J4 mile 


15 


V/2 mile 




0.0 


l / 2 mile 


16 


1 mile 




32.5 


1 mile 


16 


1 mile 




0.0 


1 mile *Late 


17 


1 mile 




15.8 


y 2 mile 


17 


1 mile 




0.0 


l / 2 mile *Late 


18 


1 mile 




0.0 




Average 






6.7 





*Corn late planted — immature at time of examination. 

It will be observed on studying the above Schedules that there is 
considerable variation in the amount of damage done. In order that 
these data may be more easily studied, Schedules No. 5 and No. 6 were 
compiled to show how distance from groves influences the amount of 
damage clone. 



SCHEDULE 5. 

Showing Percentage of Damaged Ears on All Farms Visited Within 
One-Quarter Mile of Grove. 



No. of Farm 



Percentage Ears Damaged 



Distance from Lake 



1 

2 

4 

6 
8 and 9 
10 
12 
13 
14 

Average 




1 mile 

Next 

1 mile 

3/ mile 

y 2 mile 

Next (Late) 

V/ 2 miles 

V/ 2 miles 

3 miles 

1.0 (Plus) miles 



INVESTIGATION OF CROP IXJIKY 



i:::» 




Fig. 5-) — Map showing the fields examined during 1915 in the vicinity of Wall Lake, 

Wright County. 



140 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



SCHEDULE 6. 

Showing Percentage of Damaged Ears on All Farms Visited Over 
One-Quarter Mile From Grove. 



No. of Farm 



Percentage Ears Damaged 



Distance from Lake 



5 


30.0 


Next 




0.0 


Next (Late) 


11 


0.0 


1 mile (Late) 


IS 


0.0 


V/2 miles 


16 


32.0 . 


1 mile 




0.0 


1 mile (Late) 


17 


15.8 


1 mile 




0.0 


1 mile (Late) 


19 


29.2 


Next 




18.8 


Next 




0.0 


Next (Late) 


Average 


11.4 


.5 (Plus) mile 



The averages of the two tables above show very little difference in the 
amount of damage done, whether the field is under % mile or over % 
mile from the grove. Out of eight counts, showing more than 15% 
of damaged ears, 3 counts were made under *4.mile 'flrom groves, while 
5 counts were made in fields which were over y± mile from groves. 
However, in studying the data further, it will be observed that in 3 out 
of 5 instances where counts were made over y± mile from groves, the 
fields were next to the lake. This, as 1 will be brought out in the follow- 
ing schedules, may account for the large amount of damage done in 
those fields which are located some distance from groves. Making allow- 
ance for this fact, the data presented above, might seem to indicate 
that corn is damaged more near groves than at a distance. However, it 
is certain that sufficient data has not been gathered from which to draw 
any definite conclusions. 

The year of 1915 was an exceptionally wet year and it seemed desirable 
to make examinations during 1916 when weather and crop conditions 
were more nearly normal. 

Examination of Crops Around Wall Lake, Wright County, 1916: 

SCHEDULE 7. (WALL LAKE 1916.) 

Showing Percentage of Damaged Ears in All Fields Visited Within 

Half Mile of Lake. 



Farm No. 


Distance from Lake 


Approx. Percentage 
Ears Damaged 


Distance from 


Grove 


3 


y 2 mile 


7.5 


y% mile 




3 


Y? mile 


13.0 


y% mile 




3 


y 2 mile 


13.2 


% mile 




4 


54 mile 


26.5 


y 2 mile 




4 


}4 mile 


19.5 


y> mile 




4 


J4 mile 


26.0 


y 2 mile 




S 


y-2 mile 


9.8 


10 rods 




5 


54 mile 


10.6 


10 rods 




5 


y-2 mile 


9.0 


10 rods 




Average 




15.0 













/e 



INVESTIGATION OF CROP INJURY 

14 

09) (V) 






141 

L 



# 



^ 



® 



zi' 



® 



3) 




<?* 



27 



26 



33 



34 


35 

® 



25 



© 



/9 



{26) 



=2£ 



© 



3/ 




Fig. 55— Map showing the location of fields examined during 1916 in the vicinitv of 
Wall Lake, Wright County. 



142 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



SCHEDULE S. (WALL LAKE 1916.) 
Showing Percentage of Damaged Ears on All Farms Visited From One- 
Half to Two Miles From Lake. 



Farm No. 


Distance from I,ake 


Approx. Percentage 
Ears Damaged 


Distance from Grove 


1 


1 mile 


0.4 


54 mile 


1 


1 mile 


7.5 


y 2 mile 


2 


1 mile 


0.9 


y± mile 


2 


1 mile 


1.5 


54 mile 


2 


1 mile 


1.8 


Y2 mile 


6 


J4 mile 


9.0 


Ys mile 


7 


1 mile 


18.1 


Ya mile 


12 


Y\ mile 


38.1 


y 2 mile 


13 


1 mile 


3.0 


Next 


13 


1 mile 


17.2 


Next 


14 


1 mile 


7.0 


Next 


14 


1 milf* 


1.6 


Next 


IS 


1 mile 


1.2 


y 2 mile 


15 


1 mile 


4.8 


y 2 mile 


16 


1 mile 


1.8 


y 2 mile 


17 


1 mile 


0.6 


y 2 mile 


17 


1 mile 


5.0 


Y> mile 


33 


V/i miles 


0.0 


y 2 mile 


33 


154 miles 


0.0 


Yz mile 


33 


154 miles 


0.0 


y 2 mile 


33 


1J/2 miles 


0.0 


y 2 mile 


34 


Yi, mile 


0.0 


54 mile 


35 


1/4 mile 


2.2 


10 rods 


35 


34 mile 


2.8 


10 rods 


36 


V/i miles 


0.0 


54 mile 


36 


1}4 miles 


0.4 - 


54 mile 


37 


2 miles 


O.S 


54 mile 


38 


2 miles 


0.0 


54 mile 


39 


2 miles 


13.3 


J4 mile 


39 


2 miles 


10.0 


Next 


39 


2 miles 


12.2 


10 rods 


39 


2 miles 


16.0 


% mile 


Average 




5.9 









INVESTIGATION OF CROP INJURY 



143 



SCHEDULE 9. (WALL LAKE 1916.) 

Showing Percentage of Damaged Ears on All Farms Visited Over Two 

Miles From Lake. 



Farm No. 



Distance from Lake 



Approx. Percentage Stance from Grove 
Lars Damaged 



18 


3 l / 2 miles 


0.0 


y 2 mile 


18 


3J/2 miles 


0.2 


y 2 mile 


18 


Zy 2 miles 


0.0 


y 2 mile 


19 


y/i miles 


0.0 


yt, mile 


19 


Zy 2 miles 


0.2 


*4 mile 


20 


Z l /i miles 


0.0 


y% mile 


21 


V/i miles 


0.0 


y s mile 


22 


4 miles 


0.0 


54 mile 


22 


4 miles 


0.0 


34 mile 


23 


4 miles 


7.5 


6 rods 


23 


4 miles 


2.8 


6 rods 


24 


4 miles 


1.0 


' l / 2 mile 


25 


4 miles 


0.0 


14 mile 


25 


4 miles 


0.6 


Next 


26 


y/z miles 


0.0 


y% mile 


26 


3^-2 miles 


9.6 


Next 


27 


2 l / 2 miles 


0.0 


y% mile 


28 


2Y 2 miles 


4.0 


10 rods 


29 


2 l / 2 miles 


1.0 


% mile 


30 


2y 2 miles 


1.4 


y s mile 


31 


2 miles 


6.7 


Next 


31 


2 miles 


4.7 


Next 


32 


2 miles 


0.8 


l /& mile 


32 


2 miles 


3.8 


10 rods 


40 


Zy 2 miles 
2>y 2 miles 


0.0 




40 


0.0 




Average 


1.7 









The influence of groves on the per cent of damaged ears is readily ap- 
parent. Of 23 examinations showing 5% damaged ears or over, seven- 
teen are located y$ miles or less from a grove, while only six are located 
over V s mile from a grove. Of these six counts made over y s miles from 
a grove and showing serious damage, three are located within one-fourth 
mile of the lake and a fourth is located only three-fourths of a mile 
from the lake. The remaining two of the six are located one mile from 
the lake, but these show relatively much less damage, namely 5 and 7 
per cent. 



144 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 




Fig. 56 — Map showing the location of fields examined in 1915 in the vicinity of Trum- 
bull Lake, Clay County. 



INVESTIGATION OF CROP IN.HUY 



145 



Examination of Parm Crops in the Vicinity of Trumbull, Hound and 
Mud Lukes, in (lay County, I J» 1 ."> : 

SCHEDULE 10. 

Showing Approximate Percentage of Damaged Ears on All Farms Visited 
Within Half Mile of Lake. 



Farm No. 



Disl .nice from Lake 



Approx. Percentage 

Damaged Ears 

in Field 



19 
23 

1 

6 

4 

3 
25 

5 

9 
10 
11 
12 
15 
26 
27 
28 ' 
37 
41 
43 
44 
48 
46 

Average 



Borders Trumbull 

Borders Mud 

Borders Trumbull 

Yz mile from Trumbull 

Borders Trumbull 

Borders Trumbull and Round 

Borders Trumbull 

Borders Round 

Borders Trumbull 

Yz mile from Trumbull 

Ya mile from Trumbull 

Y2 mile from Trumbull 

Yi mile from Mud 

Ya mile from Round 

Yi mile from Round 

Yi mile from Round 

Borders Trumbull 

Borders Lost Island 

Borders Trumbull 

Borders Trumbull 

Y2 mile from Lost Island 

Yi mile from Mud 



20.0 

30.0 

0.0 

28.0 

50.0 

30.0 

6.0 

6.0 

4.0 

1.0 

3.0 

11.0 

0.2 

0.1 

5.0 

0.1 

0.0 

0.0 

0.6 

16.0 

12.0 

11.0 

10.61 



SCHEDULE 11. 

Showing Approximate Percentage of Damaged Ears on All Farms Visited 
Between One-Half and Two Miles of a Lake. 



Farm No. 



Distance from Lake 



Approx. Percentage 

Damaged Ears 

in Field 



20 


VY2 


mile 


from 


Trumbull 


0.5 


2 


Va 


mile 


from 


Trumbull 


0.1 


14 


1/2 


mile 


from 


Trumbull 


14.0 


17 


Wi 


mile 


from 


Trumbull 


6.0 


30 


Va 


mile 


from 


Round 


3.0 


29 


Va 


mile 


from 


Round 


0.0 


31 


Va 


mile 


from 


Round 


5.0 


32 


VA 


mile 


from 


Round 


0.0 


33 


VA 


mile 


from 


Round 


0.0 


36 


Va 


mile 


from 


Trumbull 


1.5 


40 


1 


mile 


from 


Trumbull 


0.0 


42 


Va 


mile 


from 


Trumbull 


0.0 


47 


X 


mile 


from 


Mud 


8.0 


Average 










2 93 











i46 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



J 35 



36 



i 




® 






32 


,® 





® 

@ @ 

2 

®, 



// 



® 




®(J 




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1 Isake 


® 






® 


/2 


® 


® 




© 



® 




® 



/? 



@ 



® 



/<? 




Fig. 57 — Map showing location of fields examined in 1915 in the vicinity of Goose 

Lake, Greene County. 



INVESTIGATION OF CROP IXJl liY 



147 



SCHEDULE 12. 

Showing Approximate Percentage of Damaged Ears on All Farms Visited 
Two Miles or Over From a Lake. 











Approx. Percentage 


Farm No. 




Distance from Lake 


Damaged Ears 










in Field 


21 


yA 


miles 


from Trumbull 


0.0 


. 22 


5 


miles 


from Trumbull 


0.0 


24 


2 


miles 


from Mud 


3.0 


7 


3 


miles 


from Trumbull 


8.0 


*8 


2 


miles 


from Trumbull 


18.0 


13 


1 


mile 


from Trumbull 


0.0 


16 


Va 


mile 


from Trumbull 


0.0 


tlS 


154 


miles 


from Trumbull 


2.0 


34 


2^ 


miles 


from Round 


0.0 


35 


2 


miles 


from Round 


0.0 


J38 


3 


miles 


from Trumbull 


2.0 


J39 


2Yz 


miles 


from Trumbull 


2.0 


45 


2V2 


miles 


from Trumbull 


3.0 


49 


3 


miles 


from Mud 


0.0 


50 


3 


miles 


from Mud 


0.0 


51 


4^ 


miles 


from Mud 


0.0 


Average 








2.37 









*Very early field. 

tXear large slough. 

{Bordering outlet of Lost Island Lake. 



Examination of Farm Crops in the Vicinity of Goose Lake, Green 
County, 1915: 

SCHEDULE 13. 

Showing Approximate Percentage of Damaged Ears on All Farms Visited 
Within Half Mile of the Lake. 



Farm No. 


Distance from 


Lake 


Approx. 
aged 


Percentage Dam- 
Ears in Field 


, 


Borders 






6.0 


1 


Borders 






75.0 


2 


Borders 






28.0 


4 


y 2 mile 






5.0 


5 


% mile 






9.0 


7 


r / 2 mile 






3.0 


8 


Borders 






9.0 


9 


Borders 






8.0 


10 


Corners 






9.0 


20 


Borders 






0.1 


21 


l /2 mile 






6.0 


Average 








14.36 







148 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OP IOWA 




Fig. 58 — Map showing location of fields examined in 1916 in the vicinity of Goose 

Lake, Greene County. 



INVESTIGATION OF CROP INJURY 



149 



SCHEDULE 14. 

Showing Approximate Percentage of Damaged Ears on All Farms Visited 
Between Half and Two Miles of Lake. 



Farm No. 



Distance from Lake 



Approx. Percentage Dam- 
aged Ears in Field 



3 


24 mile 


5.0 


11 


2 miles 


1.0 


12 


V/t miles 


2.0 


13 


154 miles 


2.0 


14 


1 mile 


9.0 


15 


1 mile 


4.0 


16 


Y\ mile 


4.0 


17 


Y\ mile 


0.8 


18 


154 miles 


13.0 


19 


2 miles 


5.0 


22 


1 mile 


11.0 


Average 




5 16 







The examinations of crops near Goose Lake in 1915 showed very little 
damage by blackbirds except during the roasting ear stage. The season 
of 1915 was very wet and it seem advisable to secure additional data 
on this damage during 1916 when weather conditions were more normal 
than in the preceding year. Inspectors visited the lake in October of 
1916 and determined the extent of damage in forty-five fields of corn, 
nearly all of which were situated within two miles of the lake. Eighty- 
three determinations of damage were made, two or three sometimes be- 
ing made in the same field where large variations were to be expected. 



SCHEDULE 15. (GOOSE LAKE 1916.) 

Showing Percentage of Damaged Ears on All Farms Visited Within Half 

Mile of Lake. 



Fart.i No. 



Distance from Lake 



Approx. Percentage Distance from Grove 
of Damaged Ears 



16 


10 rods 


2.2 


yi mile 


16 


10 rods 


5.6 


Yi mile 


16 


10 rods 


7.6 


Yi mile 


17 


5 rods 


50.2 


Next 


17 


5 rods 


26.8 


Next 


18 


54 mile 


24.0 


30 rods 


18 


54 mile 


17.2 


54 mile 


18 


54 mile 


11.2 


54 mile 


18 


54 mile 


9.6 


54 mile 


18 


Yi mile 


26.4 


54 mile 


19 


54 mile 


2.9 


Yi mile 


20 


}4 mile 


5.5 


Next 


20 


54 mile 


10.5 


Next 


21 


y 2 mile 


19.0 


30 rods 


21 


Yi mile 


3.0 


54 mile 


21 


Yz mile 


3.5 


Ys mile 


21 


Yi mile 


21.0 


20 rods 


22 


54 mile 


0.8 


Yz mile 


23 


Yi mile 


0.4 


Yi mile 


24 


Yz mile 


3.8 


54 mile 


33 


Y2 mile 


0.8 


54 mile 


34 


Yi mile 


0.2 


54 mile 


34 


Yi mile 


3.2 


54 mile 


35 


54 mile 


5.5 


54 mile 



150 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OP IOWA 
SCHEDULE 15-GOOSE LAKE, 1915-Continued 



Farm No. 



Distance from Lake 



Approx. Percentage 
of Damaged Ears 



Distance from Grove 



35 


Ya mile 


7.5 


Ya mile 


36 


l /i mile 


0.6 


Ya mile 


37 


Ya mile 


7.5 


Near 


37 


Ya mile 


8.5 


Near 


38 


Ya mile 


20.3 


Near 


38 


Ya mile 


18.5 


Near 


39 


Yz mile 


6.0 


Y\ mile 


39 


]/z mile 


2.0 


Ya mile 


39 


Yz mile 


1.1 


Ya mile 


43 


Next 


9.2 


Ya mile 


43 


Next 


12.0 


J4 mile 


. 43 


Next 


5.7 


J4 mile 






10.0 











SCHEDULE 16. (GOOSE LAKE 1916.) 

Showing Percentage of Damaged Ears on All Farms Visited Prom One- 
Half to Two Miles From the Lake. 



Farm No. 


Distance from L,ake 


Approx. Percentage 
of Damaged Ears 


Distance from Grove 


6 


2 miles 


30.5 


Next 


6 


2 miles 


4.4 


5 rods 


6 


2 miles 


0.0 


Ya mile 


6 


2 miles 


0.0 


Ya mile 


7 


2 miles 


0.0 


Yi mile 


8 


2 miles 


0.3 


Yi mile 


8 


2 miles 


7.2 


Y2 mile 


9 


V/2 miles 


5.3 


Yt mile 


9 


V/i miles 


1.0 


Y2 mile 


9 


V/i miles 


4.7 


Y2 mile 


10 


1J4 miles 


3.7 


Y> mile 


11 


XYa miles 


9.2 


Next 


11 


XYa miles 


2.4 


30 rods 


11 


V/a miles 


19.2 


Next 


12 


V/i miles 


24.5 


Next 


13 


24 mile 


10.4 


40 rods 


13 


Ya mile 


2.8 


40 rods 


13 


^4 mile 


11.6 


20 rods 


13 


Ya mile 


25.0 


Next 


13 


54 mile 


27.2 


Next 


14 


1 mile 


8.3 


6 rods 


15 


V, mile 


3.5 


Y2 mile 


15 


24 mile 


3.5 


Y2 mile 


15 


24 mile 


4.2 


Y2 mile 


25 


1 mile 


1.2 


Y2 mile 


25 


1 mile 


0.5 


Y2 mile 


26 


1 mile 


0.4 


Ya mile 


27 


1 mile 


8.4 


Next 


27 


1 mile 


0.8 


15 rods 


40 


24 mile 


0.5 


Y2 mile 


41 


24 mile 


6.8 


Ya mile 


42 


24 mile 


21.0 


Next 


42 


24 mile 


9.5 


10 rods 


42 


24 mile 


4.0 


Ya mile 


Average 




7.7 





IXVKSTIOATION OF CROP INJURY 



151 



SCHEDULE 17. (GOOSE LAKE L916.) 

Showing Percentage of Damaged Ears on All Farms Visited Over Two 
Miles From the Lake. 



Farm No. 


Distance from Lake 


Approx. Percentage 
of Damaged Ears 


Distance from Grove 


1 


4 miles 


0.2 


54 mile 


2 


4 miles 


2.0 


54 mile 


3 


3 miles 


0.0 


54 mile 


4 


3 miles 


1.0 


3 miles 


5 


3 miles 


3.5 


5 rods 


44 


6 miles 


0.0 


J4 mile 


45 


9 miles 


0.0 


Next 


28 


3 miles 


0.0 


54 mile 


29 


3 miles 


0.0 


Yz mile 


30 


3 miles 


0.0 


54 mile 


31 


3 miles 


0.4 


Y2 mile 


32 


2 miles 


0.2 


54 mile 


32 


2 miles 


0.8 


54 mile 


Average 




0.6 









These data bring out several important facts. Of nineteen examina- 
tions located two miles or more from the lake, only one showed im- 
portant damage. This was in field 6, in which four counts were made. 
In a small portion of the field, near a grove, 30.5 per cent of the ears 
had been damaged; five rods from the grove 4.4 per cent, and a Ifourth 
of a mile, no damage. Of 13 inspections one mile from the lake 
but less than two, only two showed damage to 10 per cent of the ears, 
and both of these were next to groves of trees. Of forty-four examina- 
tions within a mile from the lake, seventeen showed a damage to over 
10 per cent of the ears, and nine a damage to 20 per cent or over. 
There is an apparent relation between the distances of the fields from 
the lake and the extent of the damage. 

Another important factor enters in, however, and this is the distance 
of the corn from a grove of trees; as for example, a wind-break such as 
is found near most farmsteads. Of twenty examinations showing 10 
per cent of damaged ears or more, sixteen were within a few rods of a 
grove, and none over 14 mile of a grove. Of twenty-five examinations 
made V- 2 miles from a grove, not one showed a damage to 10 per cent. 
Of thirty-eight examinations showing five per cent of the ears, or over, 
twenty-three were within a few rods of a grove and only four were y 2 
mile from a grove. Several counts were made in many of the fields 
and the influence of the distance from a grove of trees on the per cent 
of damage was nearly always apparent. Important variations were also 
found in some fields in which the distance from groves apparently had 
no influence. The time of maturity of the corn is also found to have an 
important bearing on the extent of damage. Field No. 16, next to tne 
lake, showed a damage to less than ten per cent, while field No. 17, also 
next the lake, showed from 26 to 50 per cent of the ears to be damaged. 
Field No. 6, two miles from the lake but next to a grove, showed 30 per 
cent of damaged ears, while field No. 20, one-quarter mile from the lake 
but next to a grove showed only from five to ten per cent of damaged 
ears. 



152 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OP IOWA 

While the per cent of damaged ears in any field will vary somewhat 
in different parts, it is believed . that the average of the eighty-three 
examinations may be considered as truly representative for the comr- 
munity for the year 1916. The average per cent of damaged ears in 
the forty-five fields examined is 7.84. In view of the very low average 
damage over one mile from the lake, these may be omitted wnen tne 
average for those one mile from the lake or less is found to be slightly 
less than ten per cent of damaged ears. This ten per cent represents the 
ears which were damaged and does not represent the per cent loss on the 
crop. From a number of examinations and tests it was determined that 
on an average probably twenty kernels are lost from each ear damaged. 
Since the average ear of corn contains in the neighborhood of 1,000 ker- 
nels, this will mean a loss of approximately 2.0 per cent of each ear, 
or where ten per cent of the ears are damaged a loss of 0.2 of one per 
cent of the crop. The average acre yield in Iowa for ten years is 34.5 
bushels. On this basis the loss per acre will amount to 0.0695 of one 
bushel. As near as we can determine, there are 5,210 acres of land 
within one mile of the lake, of which 1,914 acres are in corn, on which 
132 bushels are lost as a result of damage from blackbirds. At the 
average price of corn for the ten-year period, 46.6 cents, this corn has a 
value of $61.50 or a loss of $2.06 per farm. 

In addition to this loss there is, of course, a very small loss per farm 
due to the oat crop when in the shock. It is estimated, however, that this 
loss cannot exceed $1.00 per farm. It must, of course, be recognized 
that the loss to the corn crop on a very few farms is relatively high, as 
is also the loss to the oat crop on perhaps half a dozen farms which are 
very close to the lake and which are also close to the grove. 

Examination of Farm Crops in the Vicinity of Muscatine Slough, Mus- 
catine and Louisa Counties: 
Corn. 

At the time of the June examination most of the corn was large 
enough for the first cultivation, although some of the late planted corn 
was just coming through the ground, and replanting was 1 still in prog- 
ress. The extremely wet and cold spring had delayed planting in many 
cases and was responsible for poor germination and unfavorable early 
growth in many of the fields. The poor stand was due mainly to the 
wet weather, although cut worms and wire worms were responsible in 
a number of places. There were only a few fields where the birds had 
pulled up the corn or injured the corn in any way whatsoever. In Sep- 
tember the damage noticeable from birds was, with the exception of a 
few fields, negligible. Blackbirds had eaten the corn from the exposed 
tip ends in a number of fields, particularly where they were located near 
woodland. They apparently did no more damage near the undrained 
areas than a few miles distant. 

These observations agree with the testimony of the large number of 
farmers interviewed, practically every farmer making the statement that 
during the past several years blackbirds had done practically no damage 
to crops. 



Jrand \i 



Wapello 




MiLscatine. 



ifiHuih. Toolesboro 

Fig. 59— Map showing location of fields examined in 1915 in the vicinity of Muscatii 
Slough, Muscatine and Louisa Counties. 



154 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

Small Grain. 

The acreage of small grain which is much smaller than that of corn, 
consists mainly of oats, with some wheat, rye and barley. No particular 
bird damage to the small grain was observed or reported, other than that 
occurring in every neighborhood from sparrows. 



CHAPTER THREE — FOOD AND NESTING HABITS OF BLACKBIRDS 



Nesting Habits and Presence of Blackbirds in the Vicinity of Iowa 
Lakes . 

In considering the possible damage done to crops by blackbirds it is 
necessary first to determine their feeding habits. The influence which 
the presence of lakes may have on the extent of damage to crops in the 
immediate vicinity of these lakes as compared to the damage done in 
other communities will, no doubt, depend largely upon the attractiveness 
of the nesting conditions found there. 

In attempting to get definite information regarding these items in- 
spection trips were made to various Iowa lakes in the vicinity of which 
serious damage from blackbirds has been reported; specimens of the 
blackbirds were secured and their stomachs analyzed, and the reports 
of previous studies of the food of blackbirds reviewed. 

During the past years a large amount of damage from blackbirds has 
been reported from the vicinity of Wall Lake in Wright County, Goose 
Lake in Greene County, Round and Trumbull Lakes in Clay County and 
Mud Lake in Palo Alto County, also Muscatine Slough, Muscatine Coun- 
ty. These lakes are representative of the more marshy lakes of the 
state and on this account they were selected for special investigations. 
These lakes have all been visited from one to three times. The two 
species of blackbirds around which the investigations are centered are 
the Red-Winged (Agelaius phoeniceous), and the Yellow-headed blackbird 
(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) . B'oth of these species have a habit 
of collecting in large flocks and feeding on the nearby farm land. A third 
specie commonly known as Crow Blackbird or Grackles, also congregate 
in large flocks at certain times of the year and considerable damage 
to corn has been attributed to them. This specie nest most frequently 
in groves adjacent to farm buildings and, therefore, their presence as a 
result is not influenced to any great extent by the presence of the lake. 

The male of the Yellow-headed blackbird is black in color with head 
and breast a bright yellow. The female is more brownish with head 
paler and mixed with more brown. This specie nests in upright canes 
over water in ponds and sloughs, the nests usually being placed from 
four inches to two feet above the water. This specie was found in 
the vicinity of lakes in Central and Northern Iowa. It is quite numerous 



INVESTIGATION OF CROP INJI'KY 155 

in the northern part of the state and to some extent in the central 
pari bul is very seldom found in Southern Iowa except during migra- 
tion. The distribution of these birds is much more limited than that 
of the Red-winged specie. 

The male of the Red-winged blackbird is black in color with scarlel 
ami buff shoulders. The female is brownish black above and streaked 
below. This specie usually nests at low elevations in bushes or in 
coarse grasses around the edges of ponds or in sloughs. Nests are also 
frequently found in low lying wet pastures. This specie is very gen- 
erally distributed over the state wherever suitable breeding grounds 
may be found. It will be noted that this specie is not at all dependent 
on the presence of lakes but more particularly on marshy land. Since 
much of this land exists in the vicinity of certain lakes these birds 
are found there in large numbers. Mud Lake in Palo Alto County and 
Round Lake in Clay County are really extensive marshes grown up with 
rushes. These present ideal nesting places and many Yellow-headed birds 
were found to be nesting there. There is considerable slough and 
marshy land in the vicinity of these lakes and these birds were also 
found nesting here as well as the Yellow-headed species. 
Pood Habits of Blackbirds: 

It is well known that the blackbirds consume more or less grain at cer- 
tain times of the year and are, therefore, considered objectionable. Ee- 
fore drawing any definite conclusion regarding the undesirability of 
certain birds, however, it is important that we determine the extent to 
which the birds feed on valuable grains and to what extent upon weed 
seeds, insects, etc. Through the co-operation of the State Game Warden 
and his deputies a few specimens were secured; 43 of the Red-winged 
specie and 16 of the Yellow-headed blackbirds. These specimens were 
all obtained between September 3d and November 6, 1915, in the vicin- 
ity of Spirit Lake and Wall Lake. Analyses of the stomachs were secured 
through the co-operation of the Biological Survey. 



156 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 





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INVESTIGATION OF CROP INJURY 



157 



The number of stomachs of specimens analyzed as shown above is 
altogether insufficient to be of much value. It will be noted, how- 
ever, that the stomachs of the Red-winged birds show that 26% of the 
food was corn and 69% weed seeds, while the stomachs of the Yellow- 
headed blackbirds show that their food consisted of 2.7% corn, 17% 
oats (which must have been picked up from the ground at this time), 
and 63% weed seeds, with 8% insects. 

It is important that we know something of the food of these birds 
throughout the entire year. Such information has been secured by the 
Biological Survey of the United States Department of Agriculture and 




Fig. 60— An analysis of 1,083 blackbird stomach contents by the Biological Survey, 
Washington, D. C. (Bulletin No. 13, U. S. Department of Agriculture. 



is reported in their Bulletin No. 13. These specimens were secured 
mainly in Iowa, Southern Minnesota and in the Dakotas. The average 
of 1,083 stomachs of Red-winged blackbirds as presented in the accom- 
panying photograph shows that the food of these birds consists mainly 
of weed seeds and injurious insects, the proportion of useful insects 
and of grain being relatively small. During the latter part of April 
and May some grain is consumed but this is only 10% of their food, 
the balance being made up almost entirely of injurious insects and 
weeds. In June the injurious insects are consumed almost to the ex- 
clusion of anything else. In the latter half of July and in August 
50% of the food is corn, with some small grain. By the first of Octo- 



■15* LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OP IOWA 

ber the grain constitutes not over 10% of the food, 80% or more con- 
sisting of weed seeds. As an average for the entire year it consists 
of 4.6% corn, 6.3% oats, 2.2% wheat, 8% other grains, making a total of 
13.9% of grain food consumed. This must he offset by the weed seeds 
which constitute 54.6% of the food, and injurious insects, 18.2%. 

SCHEDULE 19. 

Total averages for the year were as follows: 
Grain (Corn 4.6%, Oats 6.3%, Wheat, 2.2%, other 

grains, .8 % ) 13.9% 

Weed Seed 54.6% 

Other vegetable food 4.3% 

Injurious Insects 18.2% 

Useful Insects 2.5% 

From this data it would appear that the common Red-winged black- 
birds, are not such a nuisance and pest as is sometimes regarded. It 
may even be said that the Red-winged blackbird is a benefit in crop 
production. 

The analyses of 138 stomachs of Yellow-headed blackbirds, as reported 
in Bulletin No. 13, Biological Survey, United State Department of Agri- 
culture, show that as an average for April, May, June, July, August, 
September and October, the months when they are found in this region, 
they consume much larger numbers of insects than does the Red-winged 
birdis. 33.7% of their food is found to consist of insects with 9.8% 
corn, 3.5% wheat, 25.6% oats, and 27.1% weed seeds. While the aver- 
age of all stomachs examined shows that the food consisted of 9.8% 
corn it will be noted that nearly. all of this was found in the month of 
April. This is a month when these birds are very scarce indeed, while 
in the month of July, when 72.9% of the food was insects, and in August, 
when 36% of the food was weed seeds, they are very abundant. It would 
appear that this species does not consume nearly so much corn as does 
the Red-winged species, and that of the grain consumed much of it is 
waste grain picked up from the ground. It will be noted that oato 
constituted 21.9% in June, 14% in July, 43% in August and 63% in 
October. This large amount of oats can be accounted for throughout 
all these months only by crediting these birds with picking up waste 
grain in the fields and in feed yards and pastures. 

A summary of the examination of 138 stomachs of the Yellow- 
headed blackbird made by the Biological Survey is shown in the fol- 
lowing table. (Bulletin No. 13, Dept. of Agriculture). 

(Number of stomachs examined: April, 9; May, 31; June, 14; July, 
16; August, 60; September, 5; October, 3; total, 13'8.) 



INVESTIGATION OF CROP INJURY 
SCHEDULE 20. 



159 



Km ill 


Apr. 


May 


• 1 Mill' 
% 


July 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 

% 


Aver. 


Animal 


% 


■ 


% 


% 


% 


% 




2.7 
3.9 

0.1 


8.0 
12.6 

6.0 
1.0 
5.3 


4.1 
7.8 
1. 1 
0.4 
22.6 


1.7 

7.8 

21 . 5 

32.0 

6.9 


0.1 
0.7 

ii. 1 
8.0 
0.8 






2.<* 


Otbei Beetles 




2.3 


5.0 




4.6 




L5.6 

19.0 


24.3 

10.4 


11.6 




2.6 


9.7 






Total Animal Food 

Vegetable 


9.3 

4S.8 


32.9 

9.0 

5.7 

21.9 

30.5 


39. 1 

9.7 
3.4 
12.8 

34.0 
0.7 


72.9 

5.8 
14.4 
6.6 
0.3 


9.7 

1.1 

9.9 
43.2 
36.1 


34.6 


37.0 


33.7 

9.8 


Wheat 






3.5 


Oats 


23.8 
18.0 


64.4 

1.0 


63.0 


25.6 


Weed Seed 


27.1 




0.3 










Total Vegetable Food. 


90.7 


67.1 


60.0 


27.1 


90.3 


65.4 


63.0 


66.3 



In considering the general question of injury to crops by birds at- 
tracted as the result of the presence of lakes we are of the opinion that 
we must not overlook the fact that the open water found in these lakes, 
as well as the marsh land nearby attracts many other species of birds 
which have always been recognized as of great value in crop production. 
These lakes also provide feeding and breeding ground for the various 
species of game birds which are now becoming so scarce. These game 
birds require marsh land, rather than the open water found in some of 
the Iowa lakes. 



PART THREE 

Report on the vegetation of Iowa's lakes, prepared by Dr. L. H. 
Pammel, Department of Botany, Iowa State College. Field ob- 
servations by Messrs. L. H. Pammel, J. L. Seal and L. W. Durrell. 



11 



162 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 




Fig 61 — Bulrush (Scirpus validus-Vahl). This plant is common in shallow water. It 
harbors small animal life, which in turn, serves as food for fishes. 



INVESTIGATION OK PLANTS AND TREKS 163 



CHAPTER ONE — THE VEGETATION OF IOWA LAKES 



At the request of the Iowa Highway Commission, an investigation 
of the vegetation of the Iowa lakes was made by the writers, Mr. J. 
L. Seal and Mr. L. W. Durrell, during the summers of 1915 and 1916. 
During the summer of 1915 the following lakes were investigated by the 
writer and Mr. J. L. Seal: Rush Lake, Pickerel Lake, Storm Lake, East 
Okoboji Lake, West Okoboji Lake, Gar Lake, Marble Lake, Hottes Lake, 
Robinson's Lake, Diamond Lake, Center Lake, Swan Lake, Tuttle 
Lake and Spirit Lake. 

During the summer season of 1916, the following lakes and lake beds 
were studied with reference to the vegetation by L. W. Durrell and the 
writer: Twin Sister Lakes in Wright County, Cornelia Lake, Mud Lake 
and Elm Lake in the same county, Eagle Lake and Crystal Lake in 
Hancock County, Rush Lake in Palo Alto County, Iowa Lake, Tuttle 
Lake and Swan Lake in Emmet County, Swan Lake bed near Laurens 
and Cairo or Mud Lake near Jewell Junction. 

The writer is especially indebted to Mr. J. L. Seal and Mr. L. W. 
Durrell for the painstaking care they displayed in carrying on the work. 
For the photographs he is indebted to Mr. L. W. Durrell, Professor G. 
B. MacDonald and Mr. J. W. Eichinger. The writer is indebted to Miss 
Charlotte M. King for making the excellent chart showing the depth 
of water and the growth of water plants. We wish also to express our 
appreciation to Mr. R. I. Cratty for his help in a study of the plants of 
the lakes in Emmet County. 

In our investigation, we tried to make a study of the vegetation, of 
the shore lines in the lakes and the plants of the old lake beds which 
have been drained and are being used for agricultural purposes. 

Our study of these lakes was greatly facilitated by the previous 
studies made by R. I. Cratty 1 , B. Shimek 2 , Wylie 3 , T. J. Fitzpatrick 4 , 
R. E. Buchanan 5 , J. C. Arthur", C. E. Bessey 7 , A. S. Hitchcock 8 , and the 
writer 9 . 

1. Notes on the aquatic phenogams of Iowa. Bull. Lab. Nat. Hist. 
State Univ. Iowa 3: 136-152. Flora of Emmet County, Proc. Iowa Acad, 
sci. 11: 201-251. 

2. Notes on Aquatic Plants from Northern Iowa ^: 313-375. The Plant 
Geography of the Lake Okoboji Region. Bull. Laboratories of Natural 
History, State University of Iowa, 7: 1-90 pi. 1-8 1 map. 

3. The Staminate Flowers of Elodea. Proc. la. Acad. Sci. 11: 82. 
Notes on Heteranthera duMa. Proc. la. Acad. Sci. 19: 131-132. 

4. Manual of Flowering Plants of Iowa. 1899. 

5. Notes on Algae of Iowa. Proc. la. Acad. sci. l' t : 47-84. 

6. Contributions to the Flora of Iowa, Charles City 1876. Contribu- 
tions to the Flora of Iowa. No. 6. Proc. Davenport Acad. Sci. .',: 64-75. 



164 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

7. Contributions to the Flora of Iowa. Biennial Report Iowa State 
Agri. College 4: 90-127. 

8. A catalogue of the Anthophyta and Pteridophyta of Ames, IoWa. 
Transactions St. Louis Acad. Sci. 5: 477-532. 

9. Notes on the Flora of Western Iowa. Proc. la. Acad. Sci. 3: 106-135. 
A comparative study of the vegetation of swamp, clay and sandstone areas 
in Western Wisconsin, Southeastern Minnesota, Northeastern, Central, 
and Southeastern Iowa. Proc. Davenport Acad. Sci. 10: 32-126. f. 1-42. 

Shimek and Cratty have given special attention to the aquatic plants 
of Emmet and Dickinson counties, a region containing more lakes than 
any other portion of the state. The aquatic plants in other portions of 
the state are not numerous and many of the species have disappeared. 
R. I. Cratty, who during his long residence in Emmet county has ex- 
plored every portion of that county, reports that in many places- in that 
county these plants are less numerous than formerly. The wild rice 
(Zizania palustris) which was abundant in many of the little ponds of 
that county ten or fifteen years ago and for that matter as far south as 
Story county, has become a rare plant. It is a most useful species for 
some of the game birds like the duck. Many of the other aquatic plants 
like Pond weeds (Potamogeton), Wild Celery (Vallisneria spiralis) and 
even the bulrush (Scirpus validus) are valuable for fish and wild game. 

The number of species of aquatic plants is not large. Emmet and Dick- 
inson counties are more favored than other sections of the state and yet 
the list of species is not a large one. Cratty lists for northern Iowa only 
26 species, Shimek lists 75 species of aquatic seed plants and of plants 
found in moist situations in the vicinity of the lakes. Thirteen species 
of pond weeds (Potamogeton) occur in the lakes of Emmet and Dickinson 
counties. These papers do not list many of the species of algae generally 
called pond scums. 

The aquatic plants are distributed in the following families of plants: 
Cattail family (Typhaceae), Burread family (Sparganaceae), Pondweed 
family (Najadaceae) , Alisma family (Alismaceae), Frog's Bit family 
(Hydrocharitacaeae) , Grass family (Gramineae), Sedge family (Gypera- 
ceae), Duckweed family (Lemnaceae), Pickerel-Weed family (Pontederia- 
ceae), Horn wort family (Geratophyllaceae) , Water Lily family (Nynvphae- 
ceae), Crowfoot family (Ranunculaceae), Mustard family (Cruciferaej, 
Water Starwort family (Callitricliaceae) , Loosetrif family (Lythraceae), 
Water Milfoil family (Haloragidaceae), Carrot family (Umbelliferaej, 
Bladderw'ort family (Lentibulariaceae) , Sunflower family (Gompositae). 
The aquatic seed plants occur in water of varying depths. Some on 
the muddy shores, some in water up to eight feet in depth. Compara- 
tively few species occur in deep water. The following pond weeds occur 
in water at a depth of eight feet: Potamogeton Amplifolius, P, dimorpMs, 
P, natans, P, pectinatus, P, praelongus, Vallisneria Spiralis. These plants 
do not show above the surface of the water and while all of these species 
are fairly abundant, do not render the lakes objectionable. They only 
occur in the deeper lakes. In water from five to seven feet deep the fol- 
lowing species are common: Potamogeton americanus, P, Friesii, P, pusil- 



[INVESTIGATION OP PLANTS AND TREES 165 

Ins, P, Richardsonii, ZannAchellia palustris, Elodea Towensis, Ceratophyl- 
lum demersum. 

In water having a depth of three to five feet the following species occur: 
Elodea Canadense, Wyrwpheae advens, Castalia tu.bcrosa, Ranunculus syl~ 
vestris, Callitriche palustris, Myriphyllwm spicatum, Bidens Beckii. 

In water having a depth of one to three feet, the following plants are 
common: Sagittaria latifolis, S, arifolia Echinodorus cordifolium, Alisma 
Plantago-var, americana, Phragmites communis, (iiyrcria ncrvata, (i, 
grandis, EleocJiaris adoularis, E. ovalis, E. Palustris, Scirpus Fluviatilis, 
8. validus, Cares filiaformia, Spirodela polyrhyza, l/jjfhrum alatum, Bidons 
cernua, Cicuta bulbifera. 

The general character of the vegetation may be gleaned from the accom- 
panying plate. 

It will be noted from this that only five species of water plants grov/ 
in water irom eight to ten feet deep. These all belong to the genus Patamo- 
geton. Sixteen species grow in water from five to seven feet deep. Twen- 
ty-five species of plants were found in water from three to five feet deep. 
Forty-three species thrive in water from one to three feet deep. 

By increasing the depth of the water in the lakes, nearly all of the plants 
generally considered injurious will be eliminated. The common bulrush 
will be confined to a few of the shallow places on the margins of the lake. 
East and West Okoboji lakes, Gar lake and other lakes connected with 
this chain of lakes in Dickinson county are well known and are visited by 
a large number of people. No one would think of draining any of these 
lakes even if such a thing were possible. The only objectionable feature 
found is in the blue green scum (Rivularia) and other algae, which occurs 
in great quantities during the summer. The small bays will continue to 
produce some rushes (Scirpus validus) and Arrowhead (Sagittaria), etc., 
etc. Such conditions are unavoidable and occur in all fresh bodies of 
water. East Okoboji is, however, shallow. The Arrowhead (Sagittaria 
variabilis) and bulrush (Scirpus validus), Water Lily (Castalia tuberosa) 
and Pond Weeds (Potamogeton) will always grow in shallow places in 
these lakes. Much can be done to remove them by cutting them off witti 
a water mower. 

It should, however, be borne in mind that these rushes, pond weed, 
wild celery (Vallisneria spiralis), etc., serve an excellent purpose in giv- 
ing food to small Crustacea that serve as food for fishes. 

The rush, moreover, is used by muskrats to build their winter quarters, 
and if we desire to have muskrats, these beds should be preserved in 
part at least. 

Crops on the Old Lake Beds. 

As to the growing of crops on the drained lake beds, it may be said that 
the growing of cereals (except corn some years) has not been a great 
success. Corn crops were seen on Swan Lake near Laurens and old Mud 
Lake near Jewell. The corn fields in both cases were very weedy. No 
doubt this was due to the newness of the land. The corn on the old Cairo 
Lake bed was very late. It is probable that in the course of time and 
with more thorough drainage, better crops can be produced. Some excel- 



16C 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 





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168 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



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INVESTIGATION OF PLANTS AND TREES 



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Potamogeton amerlcanus -- .— - . 

P. amplifolhis ■ - -- - 

P. dimorphus — -- --- -- 

P. Freisii 

P. foliosus -- .- 

P. natans -- . 

P. pusillus _. „ 

P. Richardsonii --- --- 

P. zostorifolins - 

Zannichellia palustris _ - 

Elodea iowensis 

Vallisneria spiralis . - _ 



170 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 




Fig. 63 — Pondweed (Potamogeton natans). One of the pondweeds found floating on 
the water surface in many of the Iowa lakes. 



INVESTIGATION OP PLANTS AND TREES 171 

lent clover and grass were produced on Mud Lake near Jewell and also 
some good potatoes. 

In 1!U4 Swan Lake near Laurens was covered with weeds and a large 
number of young almond leaved willow. These willows were easily killed. 
Hon. .). H. Allen in a letter of recent date, states that the lake Was 
drained during the years 1912 and 1913 with a large drainage ditch. The 
first crop of corn was raised in 1914, but this was put in late. An early 
variety was used. The crop made about forty-five bushels to the acre. 
In 1915 the frost killed the crop. This year, 1916, the crop is corn and is 
about an average. 

In both of the old lake beds there was found a great abundance of water 
hemp (Acuida Tubeniikita) small ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) , 
Spanish needle (Biclens frondosa and B. discoidea). These weeds greatly 
reduce the crop yield. 

The reports made by L. W. Durrell and J. L. Seal are incorporated 
with the observations we made on some of the lakes. 

Our studies at the lakes bring out the fact that the vegetation occurs in 
zones and that different aquatic plants occur in different depths of water. 
For instance, near the shore, where the water is shallow, from one to 
three feet deep, such plants as cattail, rush, arrowhead, and water lily 
occur. Where the water is shallow as in Rush lake, most of the lake 
contains rushes, cattails, and some pond lilies. Where, however, the 
depth of the water is from four to six feet, the rushes disappear and the 
water is fairly clear. 

The photographs accompanying the report will show the nature of the 
vegetation. 

It seemed to us important to make a study of the groves along the 
shore lines, if these lakes are to be used for recreation purposes. For a 
few of these lakes we have indicated the abundance of the tree species. 

Storm Lake, Buena Vista County. 

Storm Lake is an illustration of what can be done by protection. It i-3 
a beautiful sheet of water lying just south of the city of Storm Lake, and 
is used and enjoyed by the people of that city and vicinity. A dam at the 
outlet has been built high enough to hold back the flood waters and has 
increased the depth of the water several feet. At the time of our visit 
in July, 1915, we found scarcely any water plants except in a few of the 
bays and near the shore close to the city. The common rush, except a:s 
noted above, was almost entirely absent. No one in the vicinity of Storm 
Lake would consider draining this lake. It is regarded as an asset to the 
community. 

Pickerel Lake, Palo Alto County. 

This small lake has been preserved through the efforts of the people of 
Palo Alto and Buena Vista counties who have built a low dam at the out- 
let. This little dam has increased the depth of the water several feet. 
At the time of our visit, July, 1915, we observed a few rushes on the 
margin. The water contained large numbers of pond weeds (Patamogeton 
and Najus) and algae like Spirogyra and Chara. Because of the warm 



172 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



weather these algae were abundant. Their growth cannot be prevented in 
deep water. Such algae are objectionable only for a very short season. 
The action of the waves destroys them. This lake has the advantage of 
a fine grove consisting of bass wood, slippery elm and bur oak, which is 
much used by the people of the surrounding country as a picnic ground. 




Fig. 64 — Rush I,ake, Palo Alto County. Typical growth of Greater Bulrush (scirpus 

fluviatilis). 




Fig. 65 — Rush Lake, Palo Alto County. This photograph shows typical growth of cat 
tails, one of the most common varieties of vegetation in the Iowa lakes and 
marshes. 



INVESTIGATION OF PLANTS AND TREES IT:; 

Hush Lake In Palo Alto County. 

There has been much discussion in regard to the drainage of Rusli 
Lake. The water level was lowered some years ago by a ditch cut through 
a natural dike, consequently much of the lake during our visit in 1915, 
and Mr. Durrell's visit in July, 1916, was covered with water plants, the 
rush predominating. The depth of the lake varies from one to five feet. 
The bottom is made up of black mud and decaying plants. The Greater 
Bulrush (Scirpus fluviatilis) is abundant and with it occur the bladder- 
wort (Utricularia vulgaris) and some pond weed (Potamogeton pectina- 
lux). The latter grows not only with the rush but in the open pools. In 
one place the water in the lake is open and practically no water plants 
are to be seen. 

A portion of the land adjacent to the lake is used for pasture. The shores 
are covered with arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia), sweet calomel (Acorns 
calamus). Cattail (Typha latifolia) Duckweed (Lemna minor), Bluejoint 
grass (Calamagrostis canadensis), Iris (Iris versicolor) and sedge. 

The banks are low and very few trees occur except that the west shore 
has a narrow belt of timber. 

The Lakes of Wright County. 

Tne lakes investigated are Twin Sisters Lake, Mud Lake, Cornelia 
Lake and Elm Lake. The Twin Sisters Lake near the city of Belmond 
varies in depth from two to four feet. The base consists of gravel and 
clay. The shore line is grassy with the exception of a few clumps of 
trees on the south and north banks. This lake is nearly free from vege- 
tation except some rushes near the shore line. The pond southeast and 
separated from the larger body of water by a low ridge is filled with 
plants, mostly Cattail (Typha latifolia), Greater Bulrush (Scirpus fluvia- 
tilis). Duckweed (Lemna minor) and different kinds of algae. 

Cornelia Lake near the town of the same name, has water varying in 
depth from five to seven feet. The bottom is sand but covered with peat 
from one to three feet in depth. The shores are conspicuously terraced. 
At one time, according to an old resident, the lake was filled up to the 
highest terrace. About fifteen years ago the entire body of water dried 
up and the lake bed was planted to corn. The next fall the bed again 
became filled with water, since then it has remained at the same level. 
The shore line is sandy or a sandy loam. There is a sparse fringe of 
willows, ash and some poplar on the southwest and northeast shore. The 
entire lake is filled with plants, the rush up to 150 feet of the shore, the 
water lily (CastaJia tuberosa) and Spatter dock (Nymphaea advena) 
from three hundred to six hundred feet from the shore. The center of 
the lake is filled with pond weeds (Potamogeton ) and algae-like Chara 
are abundant. 

South of Cornelia near the line of the C. & G. W. R. R. is a small lake 
of some 2,000 feet long by 1,000 feet wide to which the name of Mud 
Lake was given by local people. The water is shallow. Mr. L. W. Dur- 
rell, at the time of his visit in July, found that it was grown over with 
Bulrush (Scirpus validus) and Marsh smartweed (Polygonum Muhlen- 



174 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



bergii). On the margin of the lake the last named plant occurs in shal- 
low water. The various duckweeds were common wherever the rushes 
and cattails occurred, not, however, in deep water, Mr. Durrell noticed, 
as in some other cases, that where cattle had access to the lake the 
rushes and other aquatic vegetation was destroyed. The fence in the pic- 
ture divides the pasture from the unpastured areas in the lake. It was 
also found that the small inlets of the lake were green with various 
algae, Spirogyra, Cladophora. The blue green algae (Rivularia) was 
common as in many other lakes causing the so-called "working of the 
lakes." 

Elm Lake, which is considerably larger than the other adjacent lakes, 
has water to a depth of four to six feet. It is fairly free from rush, ex- 
cept a fringe near the shore line. Further towards the interior there 



V 








Fig. 66 — Eagle Lake, Hancock County. These two views show typical growth of 
rushes and arrowhead in the Iowa lakes and marshes. 



is a bed of water lily (Castalia) and Spatter dock (Nymphaea). By in- 
creasing the depth of this lake another foot, the rush would practically 
disappear. 

The Lakes of Hancock County. 

Eagle Lake, situated about four miles from Britt, is about four miles 
long by two miles wide, and a rather shallow lake. The greatest depth 
is about four feet. The bottom is peat resting on clay. Water plants 
are plentiful. There is an abundance of bulrush (Scirpws valldus) as in 
other lakes of this character, scattered in patches over the entire lake. 
The Greater Bulrush (Scirpus fluviatilisO and Cattail (Typha latifolia) 
are common on the margins. The plants are intermingled with Bur- 
reed (Sparganium, eurycarpum) and patches of arrowhead (Sagittaria 
variabilis and 8. arifolia) and some wild rice (Zizaniia palustria). The 
Water plantain (Alisma Plantago var. Americana) and Iris (Iris versi- 



INVESTIGATION UK PLANTS \ N 1 1 TREES 



17T, 




Fig. 67— Eagle Lake, Hancock County. Three views showing vegetation in the lake. 



176 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OP IOWA 



color) occur on the shore. The stone root (Chora), pondweeds (Najas 
flexMta), Potamogeton were distributed with the other water plants The 
little pools on the shore were covered with duckweed (Wolffia coluw 
biana) and Lcmna trisulca and Spirodela polyrhiza. Interesting succes- 
sions and zonal distribution were noted from the shore to the ope'n water 
On the shore sedges, plants of marshes Slough grass (Spartina Michaur- 
tana) were found in the mud, Water plantain (Alisma Plantago var 
Americana) then Bluejoint grass (Colamagrostis canadensis var. acumin- 
ata) (followed by wild rice (Zizania palustris) occurred. The arrowheads 
(Sagittaria), Iris (Iris versicolor) and Ber reed (Sparganium enrycarpum) 




Fig. 



-Crystal Lake, Hancock County. Upper view shows heavily timbered banks 
ivower view shows a bed of arrowhead on a bar" 



grew in shallow water. In deep water the rush (Scirpus validus), Pond 
weeds (Potamogeton) followed by pond weeds (Potamogeton and Najus), 
Water lily (Gastalia tuberosa) and Spatterdock (Nymphaea advena) 
flourished. A low wooded ridge separates Eagle Lake from Wood Lake. 
This lake is little more than a marsh. Here occurred many of the plants 
found on the shore line of Eagle Lake. One of the most conspicuous 
plants 1S the Greater Bulrush (Scirpus fluviatilis). 

Crystal Lake, about twelve miles north of Eagle Lake, is a clear bodv 



[INVESTIGATION OK PLANTS AND THICKS 



I i 



of water. The depth varies, but in sonic places it is seven feet deep. The 
bottom is much Like Eagle Lake, the depth <>r t lie water prevents many 
Of the plants from growing. Clumps of Sagitlaria and Scirpus occur on 
the shallow southeast shore. Near these many floating algae were found. 
A portion of the shore line is well wooded. 

Lakes of Emmet ('oun».\. 

These lakes were visited during the latter part of August by Mr. R. I. 
('ratty, .Mr. L. W. Durrell and the writer. Under this head we will in- 
clude Silver Lake, Minnesota, just across the line in Minnesota. This is 
a clear body of water with a depth in some places, of thirty feet. It has 
splendid shore lines which are well wooded. Many people from Iowa 
visit this lake, some owning cottages on the shore. Only in a few places 
where the water was shallow did we observe aquatic plants like the bul- 
rush (Scirpus validus). On the sandy and moist shores Alisma Plantago 
var. Americana Sagittaria variabilis, Eleocharis avicularis and E. inter- 
media occur. The pine groves on the shore line undoubtedly are one of 
the lake's most attractive features. The distribution of the trees found 
on the shores is as follows: 

SCHEDULE TWENTY-ONE. 
Percentage of Trees Found on Shores of Silver Lake. 



South 
Shore 



East 
Shore 



Bottom 



Quercus macrosarpa (Bur Oak) 

Juglans nigra (Black Walnut) 

Tilia americana (Basswood) 

Crataegus mollis (Red Haw) 

Celtis oceidentalis (Hackberry) 

Clmus fulva (Slippery Elm) 

Fraximus Pennsylvania var. lanceolata (Green 

Ash) ' 

Acer saccharinum (Soft Maple) 

Primus virginiana (Choke Cherry) 

Fraxinus Pennsylvanica (Red Ash) 

Ulmbus americana (American Elm) 

Populus deltoides (Cottonwood) 

Juniperus virginiana (Red Cedar) 

Salix amygdaloides (Almond leaved willow) 

Hicoria glabra (Pignut) 

(strya virginiana (Ironwood) 



15.1 
2.1 

21.5 
2.2 
4.3 

12.9 

27.9 
6.4 
0.0 
-2.4 
0.0 
2.5 
0.0 
2.7 
0.0 
0.0 



18.6 
2.9 

12.8 
1.0 
1.0 
5.9 

27.4 
2.9 
2.0 
3.9 
7.8 
1.4 
1.0 
1.6 
1.0 



0.0 

9.4 
4.7 
4.7 
12.6 
9.2 

27.5 
4.7 
0.0 
0.0 
9.4 
4.7 
0.0 

13.1 
0.0 
0.0 



Iowa Lake, a part of which lies in Minnesota, is a shallow lake, but 
the depth of water can easily be increased. The greatest depth of water 
is about six feet. Even with the present depth few aquatic plants were 
seen above the water. In a few places on the shore the bulrush (Scirpus 
validus) was observed. A marsh situated south of the lake is covered 
with the Greater Bulrush (Scirpus fluviatilis), some Cattail (Typha lati- 
folia) and Bur reed (Sparganium eurycarpum). The vegetation there is 
essentially the Great Bulrush. Iowa Lake has splendid shore lines and 
rather steep banks. Some of the interesting shrubs occurring here are the 
Red osier (Cornus stonolifera) and dogwood (C. Amonum) . The former 
dogwood is not common in Iowa. Poison Ivy and Sumach are also found. 
12 



178 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 




Fig. 



69 — Iowa Eake, Emmet County. Typical red cedar tree which is to be found in 
considerable numbers in the vicinity of this beautiful Iowa lake. 



Along the southern shore is a low sandy ridge about thirty inches high 
which was pushed up by the ice. The trees and shrubs on the shore are a 
haven for birds. The birds have scattered various plants along the fences 
in the immediate vicinity. Plants observed on such places were the hack- 
berry, dogwood, elder, and wild grape. The following trees were observed 
on the shores of Iowa Lake: 

SCHEDULE TWENTY-TWO. 
Percentage of Trees on Shores of Iowa Lake. 



Name of Tree 



East Shore 

Bottom 
and Beach 



East Shore 

Eow 

Ground 



West 
Shore 



Salix amygdaloides (Peach leaved willow) 

Ulmus fulva (Slippery Elm) 

Quercus macrocarpa (Bur Oak) 

Populus deltoides (Cottonwood) 

Talia americana (Basswood) 

Ulmus americana (American Elm) 

Fraxinus Pennsylvanica (Green Ash var. lance 

olata) 

Fraxinus Pennsylvanica (Red Ash) 

Crataegus mollis (Haw) 

Celtis occidentalis (Hackberry) 

Prunus americana (Plum) 

Prunus virginiana (Choke Cherry) 

Acer nigrum (Hard Maple) 



42.0 
0.0 
0.0 

21.0 
0.0 

12.0 

13.0 
0.0 
6.0 
6.0 
0.0 
0.0 
0.0 




28.7 
15.0 
10.0 

0.0 
15.0 

5.0 

1S.0 
0.0 
0.0 
5.0 
3.5 
0.0 
2.8 



It will be seen from these notes of the trees and the shores of Iowa 
Lake that the wooded areas not only protect the bird life, but that there 
are many places where the people of the vicinity may And comfort on the 
hot days of summer. 

Tuttle Lake, only a small part of which is in Emmet County, is a shal- 
low body of water covering a considerable area. An ice floe occurs on the 



INVKSTICATION OK PLANTS AND TK.EKS 



L79 




Fig. 70— Arrowhead (Sagi. Haria latifolia Wiled). Grows in very shallow water around 
the margin of Iowa lakes. 



180 



LAKES AND LAKE BEiDS OF IOWA 



south shore. The beach is sandy. At the time of our visit, but little 
water was passing out of the lake. We found it an easy matter to cross 
the stream. The lake at this time was also quite free from vegetation. 
In a few places some rushes grew in the water and cattails near the shore 
line. Much of the shore line is free from trees and shrubs. Among the 
shrubs we noted dogwood (Cornus stolonifera and G Amonum), Snow- 
berry (Symphoricarpos occidentalisj , Poison Ivy (Rhus Toxicodendrum), 
False Indigo (Amorpha fruiticosa), Sandbar Willow (Salix fluviatilis), 
Moonseed Menispernum candense). Black Currant (Ribes floridum) and 




Fig. 71 — Group of Red Cedar trees planted by birds near Iowa L,ake, Ijmmet County. 
Views show the well wooded shores on this lake. 



wild grape (Vitus vulpina). Forest trees occur in a narrow belt on the 
shore. On the south shore the belt is somewhat wider and covers a larger 
area. This timber belt follows the course of the Des Moines River for a 
short distance. Beyond the influence of the lake very few trees occur. 
The following table gives the percentage of trees on the south shore of 
the lake. 



IXYKSTIOATIOX OK PLANTS AND TREKS 



181 




Fig. 72 — Hackberry, dogweed, grape, poison ivy, and Virginia creeper planted by birds 
along a fence south of Iowa Lake, Emmet County. 




Fig. 7i — West Swan Lake, Emmet County. Upper view shows a bay covered with 
reddish algae sphaerella. Lower view shows stream at outlet. 



182 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



SCHEDULE TWENTY-THREE. 
Percentage of Trees South Shore Tuttle Lake. 



Name of Species 



Name of Species 



Ulmus americana (American 

Elm) 

Fraxinus Pennsylvanica var. 

lanceolata (Green Ash).... 
Fraxinus Pennsylvanica (Red 

Ash) 

Prunus americana (American 

Plum) 



14.9 
16.6 
3.2 
10.6 



Salix cordata (Pussy Willow) 8.0 
Celtis occidentalis (Hack- 
berry) 9.2 

Salix amygdaloides (Peach 

leaved willow) 15.3 

Cratagus mollis (Red Haw).. 2 5 
Populus deltoides (Cotton- 
wood) 19.7 



Swan Lake in Emmet County, with its well wooded shores and high 
banks, is a beautiful body of water. The' North bay is separated from 
a swamp of considerable size in which the most conspicuous plant was trie 




Fig. 74 — A large black walnut tree on the shore of West Swan Lake in Emmet County. 
Mr. R. I. Cratty standing alongside gives an idea of the size attained by the tree. 

Greater Bulrush (Scirpus jhvlatJls; frcm three to five feat tall. The small 
bay next to this embankment contains a great many cf the L'airush (Svir- 
pus validus), some pond weeds and bladderwort. The floating plants 
consisted of Duckweed (Lem-na and Spirodela) and some algae. By in- 
creasing the depth of the water one foot, most of the rush would di-i- 



INVESTIGATION OK PLANTS AND TltEES 



183 



appear. The lake Otherwise was fairly free from aquatic vegetation, ex- 
cept the east bay where the rush and burreed occurred in considerable 
quantity. The muddy shores were lined with a red alga (Sphaerclla) 
which imparted to the water a red color. The more important shrubs 
found here were dogwood (Cornns, stolonifera C. Amonum C. asperifolia) , 
Currant (ribes floridtim), Poison Ivy (Rhus Toxicodendron), Sumach 
(rhtis glabra), Hazlenut (Corylus americana) and snowberry (Symphorir 
carpus occidentalis) . 

SCHEDULE 24. 

Percentage of Trees Near Swan Lake, Emmet Co. 



Name of Species 



Northeast 
Shore 



Flat N. E. 
Shore of Lake 



Quercus macrocarpa (Bur Oak) 

Ulmus fulva (Slippery Elm) 

Fraximus Pennsylvanica var. lanceolata (Green Ash) 

Fraximus Pennsylvanica (Red Ash) 

Tilia americana (Basswood) 

Ostrya virginica (Ironwood) 

Ulmus americana (American Elm) 

Primus virginica (Choke Cherry) 

Acer negundo (Box Elder) 

Salix amygdaloides (Peach Leaved Willow) 

Populus deltoides (Cottonwood) 

Salix cordifolia (Pussy Willow) 

Celtis occidentalis (Hackberry) 

Prunus serotina (Blackberry) 

Prunus americana (American Plum) 

J uglans nigra (Walnut) 

Crataegus mollis (Red Haw) 

Crataegus punctata (Haw) 



8.1 


11.8 


4.5 


7.3 


10.5 


6.2 


1.5 


0.0 


27.0 


2.3 


15.8 


0.0 


7.5 


5.6 


2.2 


26.0 


0.0 


5.6 


4.3 


0.0 


6.8 


0.0 


4.5 


0.0 


2.7 


5.0 


0.7 


0.0 


3.9 


2.8 


0.0 


23.5 


0.0 


3.4 


0.0 


0.5 



Worth County Lakes. 

Silver Lake, which is located in Worth County, has splendid shores 
varying in height from six to fifteen feet. Along the low south shore is 
a bank two to three feet high pushed up by the ice. 

The prevailing trees on the east and south shores are bur oak 
(Quercus macrocarpa) , Quaking ash (Populus tremuloides) and Iron 
wood (Ostrya virginiana), while on the banks next to the water, peach 
leaved willow (Salix amygdaloides) abound. Other trees found on the 
lake are Quercus, cottonwood (populus deltoides), basswood (Tilia amer- 
icana), hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), slippery elm (Ulmus fulva), and 
American Elm (Ulmus americana), red ash (Fraximus pennsylvanica) 
and green ash (Fraximus pennsylvanica var. lanceolata.) 

The bottom of the lake consists of sand and loam, with some peat. 
The lake as a whole is free from vegetation. There are a few patches 
off rush (Scirpus validusj and Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia). On the 
south shore these plants, especially the rush extend out about fifty feet. 
On the southwestern shore these plants cover a large area, extending 
out into a spit for about a hundred and fifty feet. At this point wild 
rice (Zizania palustris) is abundant and associated with it Blueflag 
(Iris versicolor), smartweed (Polygonum Hartwrightii) and duckweed 
(Spirodela polyrhyza). 



184 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OP IOWA 



CHAPTER TWO — CONCLUSIONS 



The writer is convinced from his observation and the studies made by 
Messrs. Seal and Durrel that the objectionable feature of all the lakes can 
be prevented by increasing the depth of the water from one to three feet. 
The tables showing the depth of water in which certain plants grow point 
out in a striking manner how rushes can be eliminated. Some land now 
used for pasture purposes no doubt will be covered by increasing the 
depth of the water but the state can well afford to purchase such 
lands. 

The trees on the shore lines of the lakes are important ifrom the 
standpoint of recreation. Their presence on the shores makes the lakes 




Fig. 



75 — Silver I,ake, Worth County. Upper view shows plant life in the west end of 
the lake. Lower view shows ice-formed bank on the south shore. 



INVKSTH! \TION OK PLANTS AND TRKKS 



185 



nuu'h more desirable for summer cottages and for picnic grounds. Kew 
of the lakes in Iowa are completely surrounded by trees, which seem 
only to have found a footing in the more favorable situations. Silver 
Lake across the border in Minnesota presents a good illustration of a 
lake with well timbered banks. 




■H; ^^% 



Cm - 



FlG. 76— Silver Lake, Worth County. Three views showing the heavily wooded shores 
and plant life along the waters edge of this lake. 




Fig. 77 — Wild Rice L. (Zinzania palustris). This plant grows in shallow water. It 
forms a valuable food for water fowl. It could easily be planted in many of the 
more shallow lakes. 




Fig. 78-Pondweed (Potamogeton zosterifolius Schum). This plant is rather common 
in the deeper Iowa lakes and marshes. 



188 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 







/ 






/ 



s 7 

'i ! If 




Fig. 79— Greater Bulrush (Scirpus fluviatilis-Torr), Grey. This plant is very common 
on the more shallow Iowa lakes and marshes. 



INVESTIGATION OF PLANTS AND TREES 189 

The tables showing percentage of trees illustrates the manner in 
Which nature covers the shore lines. It will be seen that the trees are 
such as are common in other parts of the state. Around Swan Lake 
there were some usually good sized black walnuts, hackberry and bur 
oak, and those same varieties can doubtless be induced to grow at the 
other lakes. 

The groves on the lake shores should sooner or later become the 
property of the state or county by purchase. The value of such places 
can hardly be estimated in dollars and cents. People will come to these 
groves and the lakes from the surrounding country. Silver Lake across 
the line in Minnesota draws hundreds of Iowa tourists. The water saw 
autos by the dozens going to this one lake during the past summer. 
There is no question but that the demand for outing places is a real one, 
and one moreover which is growing. 

No difficulty should be encountered in replanting some of the more 
desirable water plants such as the wild rice. Nor would the cost of thus 
providing feeding grounds for wild fowl be great. 

The drained beds of Swan Lake and Mud Lake in Hamilton county 
have produced some good crops of potatoes, grass and corn for silage. 
In some years corn has ripened. Their value as agricultural land, how- 
ever, is small as compared to that which they would have had either 
as places of amusement, or as reservoirs for holding back the flood 
waters in the spring. 



PART FOUR 

A REPORT ON THE POSSIBILITIES OF IMPROVING IOWA'S 
LAKE SHORES BY FORESTATION. 

Prepared by Professor GL B. MacDonald, Department of Forestry, 
Iowa State College. 



POSSIBILITIES OF RE FOB ^STATION 



L93 



CHAPTER ONE — POSSIBILITIES OF FORESTATION WORK ABOUT 
THE IOWA LAKES 



Lakes with forested shores are a big asset in any state. They not 
only furnish places of recreation for the people of the immediate locality 
but they also attract many visitors from other localities, as well as 
great numbers from other states. Minnesota has been more richly en- 
dowed with timbered lakes, and, according to the State Forester, draws 
thousands of people annually from Iowa, Nebraska,, the Dakotas, and 




Fig. 80 — Small patch of native timber along the shore of Little Wall Lake. A great 
variety of trees is represented in this small clump. The list includes willow, 
cottonwood, bur oak, hickory, box elder, haw and black cherry. The most valu- 
able timber in this location has been cut. Bur oak stumps 20 inches in diameter 
are to be found. These trees were apparently cut some fifty years ago. They 
were probably several hundred years old. The planting of a large number of 
tree species could be successfully done around Little Wall Lake. 

Wisconsin. These thousands spend from a few days to several months 
in summer homes or camps on the timbered shores of her numerous lakes. 
Some of the Minnesota lakes are controlled by the state (the lakes 
of Itasca State Park) or by the Federal Government (Cass Lake). The 
lakes are well cared for, timbered camp sites are available, fishing is 
good, and the people find at these lakes, places for invigorating recrea- 
tion, free from the undesirable features to be found on many lakes where 
the frontage is privately owned. 

Although Iowa has few lakes with large bodies of timber covering 
their shores, yet a slight estimate of the appreciation of such lakes by 
13 



194 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 




Fig. 81— This photograph shows the forested shore of one of Minnesota's beautiful 
lakes. This lake and the surrounding country are under the control of the United 
States Forest Service. Thousands of people frequent the lake annually. The 
Government provides for the proper protection and maintenance of the shore line. 




Fig. 82 — The forested slopes bordering the lakes always serve as an attractive place 
for students. Reforestation work about the lakes would make- these shores even 
more attractive by the adding of a large number of tree species. 



KOSSIHIUTIKS OK KK-KOIJKSTATION 



195 



the people, may be gained by observation of the extent to which Lake 
Okoboji is used during the summer months for recreational purposes. 
Iowa lakes, with proper surroundings, the waters stocked with fish 




Fig. 83 — The forested shores of the lakes often serve as an outdoor laboratory for 
the tjse of students for educational purposes. The students of a forestry school 
in camp adjoining one of Minnesota's numerous lakes. 



and the shores controlled by the State, will equal in beauty and useful- 
ness the much sought lakes of other states. 

Improvement by Reforestation. 

From the standpoint of usefulness to the public, lakes with bare 
shores are of little value for recreation. Aside from boating and fishing, 
little benefit comes to the people. The lakes of the State which are 
most frequented by the people are those which have some timber on 
their shores. Campers and cottage builders seldom select a treeless lake 
for their recreation grounds. 

The people of Iowa are beginning to realize that attractive forest 
parks and lakes are a real asset to the State. If Iowa had adequate 
pleasure grounds, many of our summer tourists would remain at home 
instead of seeking recreation elsewhere. The average citizen feels the 
need of getting away from the humdrum of life and finds it profitable 
to spend a week or more in the forest or at some lake. 

It is unfortunate that provision for the retention of most of the 
lake shores, for the use of the public, was not made years ago when 
the work could have been accomplished much easier and at much less 
expense. Even now the State can do much toward providing woodland 
parks and beautiful lakes. Although this cannot be accomplished in a 
year's time nor in ten years' time, a start can be made which will bring 
gratifying results. 




Fig. 84 — Planted grove of European larch about thirty-five years old. In_ a close 
stand, such as is shown in the picture, the European larch grows straight and 
tall. When spaced more openly the tree takes on a more beautiful conical form. 
The tree makes a thrifty growth on most slopes. Most of the trees are 60 to 85 
feet tall. 



POSSIBILITIES ()!•' RE-FORESTATION 



L97 



Purposes of Forest at ion Works About the Lakes. 

The work of forestation about Iowa's lakes will serve the following 

purposes: 

Places of recreation will be made available for the people. 
The bare shores of the lakes can be forested much faster 
than is commonly believed. By the use of proper species of 
trees, good results can be secured in a short period of years. In 
certain instances at least it will be most profitable to plant 
quick-growing trees — this planting to be supplemented with 
more permanent varieties which are generally slower in 
growth. As an illustration of what can be accomplished in a 




Fig. 85— A steep bank along- the east shore of North Twin Lake. The scattering 
growth of trees at this point were not sufficient to protect the bank from erosion. 
A deep gully has already been cut out through the action of the water. A culti- 
vated field extends up to within a few feet of this bank. Unless this erosion is 
checked, it will only be a few years until the gullies have eaten their way to a 
considerable distance back from the shore line. The planting of suitable species 
of trees would not only check erosion but would beautify the shore line for recre- 
ational purposes. 



short time, the following is interesting: A small area of 
Carolina poplar trees, set out by the Agricultural Experiment 
Station in 1909, when measured in 1916, showed that many of 
the trees had reached a height of between 40 and 50 feet. 

The improved lands about the lakes, if purchased by the 
state, counties or municipalities, would serve as nuclei for 
the State, county or municipal forest parks, which are needed 
in every portion of the State. The coming of the automo- 
bile and good roads has made it possible for the average fami- 
ly to go to a considerable distance for a day's recreation. 

Forested lands about the lakes could well serve as game and 
bird preserves, and assist in the better protection of our wild 
life. 

The planted lands adjoining the lakes 'could be made to pro- 
duce a substantial revenue, in time, from the sale of old tim- 



198 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

ber from trees which are no longer needed. This matter of 
having the forest serve both for recreational purposes and for 
the production of timber for the market is not new. In Euro- 
pean countries it is the common practice. Municipal forests in 
Switzerland and Germany, in addition to providing a play 
ground for the people bring in a net revenue of from $5.00 to 
$12.00 per acre each year from the sale of their timber. This 
sum, in some cases, is sufficient to pay the entire city taxes 
for the people. 

Another purpose of forestation work is the protection of 




Fig. 86 — A strip of shore line along Blue Lake, in Monona County. At this point the 
sand has blown out to a depth of nearly 10 feet, as shown by the exposed roots 
on the Cottonwood tree. These shifting sands have apparently filled in portions 
of Blue I,ake. Approximately 400 acres of land of this character between the two 
arms of the lake could be purchased at a very small price and planted to trees. 
This would form the basis for a forest park, which is very much needed in this 
locality. 

steep banks from erosion and the resultant filling in of the 
lakes. 

Where the Reforestation Work Should Start. 

The tree planting about the lakes should be done in different localities, 
so far as practicable, in order that as miany people as possible may be 
benefitted. 

In general, if extensive work of this character is attempted, it will 
probably be desirable to start on those lakes where the work can be car- 
ried on with the least expense to the State. 
The following procedure is suggested: 

First improve the lands which are now owned by the state. 
This would include certain areas within meander lines, and 
possibly some lake beds which are drained and retained by the 
State. 



POSSIBILITIES OF KKFOKICSTATION 199 

The second class of lands along the lakes, which should he 
planted, are the sandy waste areas with little or no agricultural 
value, which might be purchased at a very small cost. Such 
lands in certain instances are now a menace to the adjoining 
lakes through the shifting of the sands. (Blue Lake in Mo- 
nona County). This class might also include overflowed areas 
or swampy lands which might be put into condition for tree 
growth at a small expense. 

Next for consideration should be those lakes where there is 
considerable local interest now in evidence for the improve- 




Fig. 87 — The forested shore of Spirit Lake, Iowa, showing an area which is privately 
owned. It is not an uncommon sight in Iowa to see live stock in a lake and doing 
damage to the banks and tree growth adjoining. If the lake borders were owned 
by the state, this nuisance could be done away with, and the lake shores made 
more attractive for the recreation of the people. 

ment of the shores, and where co-operation in an improvement 
project might be secured, either by cities- donating tracts of 
land for the forestation work or where cities, organizations, or 
private individuals will pay part or all of the expenses of the 
forestation work (except the cost of supervision and trees). 

The next class of land in order for improvement would be 
the lands of agricultural value which should be purchased by 
the State and improved by planting. 

Next, if certain lands about the lakes are not to be con- 
trolled by the State, it would then be desirable to assist in 
the reforestation of those lands which are now owned by towns, 
cities or other organizations. 

The last for improvement would be private lands adjoining 
the lakes which will not be purchased by the State. 

Control of State-owned Lake Shores. 

It is hardly necessary to mention the many advantages in the State 
owning the land adjoining the valuable lakes. Among the more im- 



200 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 




Fig. 88 — A slope which has been denuded of tree growth. A number of areas such 
as this, which formerly were covered with a dense stand of timber, have been 
rendered unsightly and of practically no value for recreational purposes, due to the 
cutting of the timber. Such areas as this might be purchased by the state, re- 
forested at a relatively small cost, and held for the use of the people. 




Fig. 89 — A native stand of pine timber adjoining Cass L,ake, Minnesota. This area 
is under the supervision of the U. S. Forest Service and is protected at all times 
against fire and grazing. The results of this protection are evident from the 
heavy stand of young trees which are shown on this area. 



I'USSir.lUTlKS ()!•' UK KORKSTATION 



201 



poriant reasons for state control are, first, such controlled lands will be 
better insured for the use of other generations, and second, the public 
will have access to the lakes at all times without the interference of 
private interests. 

Lands acquired by the State should be placed preferably, under the 
supervision of some existing body of the State, with a Forest Warden, 




Fig. 90 — A swampy area adjoining Little Wall Lake, in Hamilton County. Portions 
of this area would now support tree growth. By draining the very wet portions 
the entire area, at a small expense, could be made over into a forest park. 

Park Commissioner, or State Forester, without salary, to execute the 
proposed reforestation work and provide for proper protection and regu- 
lation of the lands acquired. 

A large part of the State owned land about the lakes should be held 
for the use of all the people, who would be permitted to camp or to 




Fig. 91 — A slope bordering one of Minnesota's lakes. The land is owned by the U. S. 
Building sites are leased to private individuals at a small fee, under certaiii 
regulations. 



202 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



use the grounds for picnic purposes, under such restrictions as are neces- 
sary for the proper protection of the land. 

Under certain conditions it would no doubt be desirable to permit 




Fig. 92 — The shore line of one of Minnesota's lakes, showing a long row of summer 
cottages. Private parties are permitted to build summer cottages on these lake 
shores by paying a rental fee of $5.00 per year. On this lake several miles of 
shore line are lined with such cottages and more are being built each year. A 
system similar to this might be adopted in connection with the state owned lands 
bordering Iowa's lakes. 



the erection of summer cottages along portions of the lake frontage, a 
system which is followed by the United States Forest Service with good 
results. A nominal annual rental fee, generally not exceeding $5.00, 
is charged for the land occupied by such cottages. 



1'OSSIIUUTIKS OK KK RIUKSTATIOX 



20:J 



CHAPTER TWO — TREES SUITABLE FOR REFORESTATION WORK 

IN IOWA 



Iowa has a long list of trees suitable for reforestation of the lake 
shores, including both deciduous and evergreen species. The native tim- 
ber of the State is largely made up of the deciduous or broad leaved 
trees, although the eastern white pine and the red cedar are native to 
Iowa — the former being one of the best timber trees of the country. 
The native list of trees is supplemented with a number of exotics, both 



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1m G. 9j — The shore line of one of Minnesota's lakes, showing a row of tents used 
by campers. The forested shores of Minnesota lakes attract many thousands of 
people from the states of Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Nebraska annually. The 
timbered borders more than any other one feature, add attractiveness to the lake. 



deciduous and evergreen, which have been planted in the State with 
good results. 

The following indicates the more important trees which will be of 
value in reforestation work: 

Hardwood or Deciduous Trees. 

Cottonwood: The common cotton wood is probably the most rapid gro v- 
ing tree to be found in Iowa. It has been planted extensively during 
the past sixty years throughout this section of the country. It thrives 
best on moist soils and will be exceptionally well bordering swamps. 

A large number of measurements which have been taken over the 
northern part of the State : show that the Cottonwood, under favorable 
conditions, will make a diameter growth of about 1 inch and an average 
height growth of 3 to 5 feet per year, during the first twenty to thirty 
years. The tree is relatively short-lived, reaching its maturity between 



204 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



thirty and forty years. This makes this tree somewhat less desirable 
for forestation work, however, it is a tree that will make good showing 
in a relatively short time. It will make a good growth on over-flowed 
land and probably next to the willow, will endure as wet a soil as any 
of Iowa's trees. 

The cottonwood will be very serviceable for beginning certain planta- 
tions along the lake shores where protection is needed for some of the 
more permanent trees which are to be planted. 

As a timber producer, no other tree in Iowa is better. Measurements 
of a large number of plantations shows that in thirty to forty-five 
years' time as much as 50,000 board feet per acre, in addition to cord 




Fig. 94 — This photograph shows young cottonwood trees, which are making a thrifty 
growth on overflow lands. At the time this picture was taken the water was 
several inches deep, and remained at this depth for several weeks without injury 
to the trees. The cottonwood is one of the most desirable trees for planting on 
areas which are subject to overflow at certain periods of the year. This tree is 
also desirable for planting where quick results are desire'd, since it is one of the 
fastest growing species found in the state. 



wood, can be produced under conditions which are not most favorable 
for tree growth. 



POSSIBILITIES OF RE-FORESTATION 



205 



Elms: Both the white elm and red elm should be used extensively in 
tlic t'orestation work about Iowa's lakes. The trees, in addition to be- 
ing rather rapid in growth, are among our most desirable shade trees. 
Both of these species thrive best on a moist soil. 

Hackberry; The hackberry is closely related to the elms. It is a tree 
which will make quite a satisfactory growth on dry situations, and at the 
same time makes a very pleasing appearance. It will be very serviceable 
for forestation of certain dry slopes adjoining some of the Iowa lakes. 

Ashes: The white ash is found naturally on moist soil and is a. very 
valuable timber tree for planting in Iowa. The green ash is much 
hardier, being able to make a satisfactory growth where the rainfall is 




Fig. 95 — This view shows thrifty growth which is made in one summer from Carolina 
poplar cuttings. These cuttings were planted in low, moist ground, and after three 
months' growth some of the sprouts showed a height of from 6 to 8 feet. This 
same tree, set out on overflowed bottom land on the grounds of the Iowa Agri- 
cultural Experiment Station, has shown that the trees in seven years' time will 
reach a maximum height of about SO feet, and a maximum diameter of 9 inches. 
This species would be of great value for planting about some of Iowa's lakes, 
inasmuch as it would give quick results and could be supplemented by planting 
species which are longer lived. The tree is one of the best for planting on low- 
lands. 



rather uncertain. Although rather slow in growth, the tree is desirable 
for reforestation work on certain lands in Iowa. 

Oaks: The bur oak is found naturally about a great number of Iowa 
lakes. It is one of the hardiest species among the oaks, being able to 
withstand dry, wind-swept situations almost better than any other tree.. 
In the drier portions of the State the tree is of small size. It should not. 
be used extensively where the more desirable species, red oak and scarlet 
oak, can be successfully planted. The latter are faster in growth where,- 
there is sufficient moisture. 




Fig. 96 — Planted grove of hardy Catalpa. This species, because of the rapidity of 
its growth during the first few years, and also because of the peculiarly large 
foliage, will make it a desirable tfee for planting in restricted sections about 
some of Iowa's lakes. The tree cannot be planted on all locations in northern 
Iowa, since it is not as hardy as some other species. The tree makes its thriftiest 
growth on low moist land, such as may be found around many of the Iowa lakes. 




JFlG. 97 — Planted grove of white pine about fifteen years old. This species, under 
favorable conditions, will probably make as good a growth as any other coniferous 
tree in Iowa. It will serve exceptionally well for reforestation work on many 
of the slopes adjoining the lakes. The tree will not do its best on poorly drained 
soil. Instead of planting the trees in rows as is shown in the accompanying 
picture, the spacing should be irregular. After the trees reach a height of 
20 to 25 feet, the lower branches should be trimmed off. 



I'OSSir.lUTIKS OK R1C-F()KKSTATI().\ 



207 



Black Walnut: The black walnut in natural stands selects moist bot- 
tom-land soil. It is one of the most desirable trees in the State for plant- 
ing. In addition to serving as an ornamental tree, the food furnished 
by tin- nuts is an item worth giving consideration. In addition, at the 
present time black walnut timber in the State is being sought for more 
than any other species. 

Hickories: Several species of hickories should be used in moderate 
amounts for forestation work about Iowa's lakes. 

Soft Maple: The soft maple has been planted in Iowa probably as 
much as any other tree. It is rapid in growth and will stand consider- 
able shading. However, it is short-lived and cannot be expected to he 
serviceable for a period greater than forty to fifty years. This tree 




t8£ 



Fig. 98 — Planted grove of white pine in central Iowa where the trees are between 
35 and 40 years old. Some of the trees show a diameter growth of about 17 
inches. In planting about the lakes, the white pine could very well be mixed with 
other evergreens or broad leafed trees. 

will be of service in forestation about Iowa's lakes because of its rapidity 
in growth. However, it should not be planted where more desirable 
trees can be used. 

Hard Maple: The hard or sugar maple, or its variety the black maple, 
is rather slow in growth, but, on account of the very dense foliage and 
symmetry of the crown it is much desired for planting in the State. 
This tree would be well adapted for planting in locations where an open 
spacing of the trees is desired. On account of its great shade-enduring 
qualities it could be successfuly grown under the shade of such a fast- 
growing tree as the cottonwood. 



208 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

Basswood: Although, rapid in growth, the basswood is rather short- 
lived. It naturally selects moist situations, has a dense foliage, and 
might be used for planting certain areas about the lakes. 

Sycamore: The sycamore is a lowland species and could be well used 
for reforestation work on low, flat areas adjoining some of the lakes. 
The peculiar mottled appearance of the bark would add an attractive 
feature for park planting. 

Willows: The willows should not be used for reforestation work where 
more desirable trees can be planted. However, the fact that most of the 
willows will withstand a great amount of moisture in the soil, it might 
be desirable to use the black willow or one of the other species for plant- 
ing on certain areas bordering swamps about the lakes. 

Other Species: Other species which might be planted to a certain 
extent are the Russian olive which is very hardy and has a very beauti- 
ful foliage. The tree, however, is small. The white birch, or possibly 
some of the other species of birch, would add a variety to the planting 
because of the characteristic color and markings of the bark. The hardy 
catalpa is not as hardy in northern Iowa, as its name would imply, and 
for this reason should be planted sparingly, if at all, about the lakes. 

Conifers or Evergreen Trees. 

White Pine: The white pine is one of the few native evergreen trees 
to be found in Iowa. It has the distinction of being probably the tree 
which has been used more than any other for lumber in the United 
States. It is one of the most beautiful among the evergreen trees and is 
rapid in growth during the first fifty years. The tree will endure a sandy 
soil but not one that is poorly drained. 

The tree has been widely planted in Iowa, with good results. Measure- 
ments of plantations throughout the State, show that a good production 
of timber can be secured in forty to fifty years' time. Unless the plant- 
ing of white pine is thought to be undesirable because of the present 
ravages of the white pine blister rust, there is probably no other conif- 
erous species available which would be more serviceable for reforesta- 
tion work about Iowa's lakes. 

Red or Nomoay Pine:. The red pine is almost as rapid in growth as 
the white pine. It has a coarser foliage and will endure poorer soils 
than the white pine. 

Jack Pine: This tree is considered a poor species when associated 
with the white and red pines in native stands of the Lake States. The 
tree, however, makes a faster growth during the first ten years than 
most any others of the evergreens. It is a tree also, which will with- 
stand the driest, sandiest soils and yet make a satisfactory growth. 

Other Pines: Austrian and Scotch pines which have been introduced 
from Europe, have been extensively planted over the State. Both trees 
are very hardy and will withstand dry situations. For this reason both 
will be serviceable for planting work about the lakes. Western yellow 
pine is also a tree which should be planted in limited quantities. 

European Larch: This tree makes its best growth on moist slopes.- 
It can be grown in very dense stands during the first twenty-five to 



POSSIBILITIES OF REFORESTATION 



209 



thirty years, forming trees which are slender and tall. When spaced 
widely apart the trees take on a beautiful conical form. 

Spruces; The Norway spruce, an exotic from Europe, has been plant- 
ed probably more than any other spruce in the State. The tree is not 
rapid in growth but has a dense foliage which makes the tree quite at- 
tractive for planting work. It will not withstand as dry a soil as the 
hardier variety, Black Hills spruce, which has also been planted more 
or less throughout Iowa. 

Hemlock: The Eastern hemlock would be serviceable for planting on 
lowland situations which are protected from the sweeping winds. The 
hemlock is one of the most beautiful of the evergreen trees and should 
be used for planting certain areas about the lakes. 

Red Cedar: Red cedar, or juniper, which is a native tree of Iowa, 
can be planted with success in many parts of the State. Although not 




FiG. 99 — Young stand of Black Hills spruce and Austrian pine. Although slow in 
growth, the spruce can very well be used for planting certain areas along the 
lakes. Both this spruce and Austrian pine are well adapted to dry situations. 

rapid in growth, its extreme hardiness recommends it for forestation 
work. 

Arborvitae: The arborvitae will withstand vary wet situations. Al- 
though rather slow in growth, it should be used for planting certain 
areas adjoining the lakes. 



14 



210 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 




rossir.ii.i tii:s ok uk-forfstation 



211 



CHAPTER THREE — STATE FOREST NURSERY 



Forestation about the Iowa lakes might be greatly facilitated by the 
• -tnblishment of a state forest nursery preferably under some existing 
department or institution. Such a nursery would make it possible for 
the State to take up the question of improvement of the lake shores 
on a scale which would accomplish appreciable results, and at the same 
time reduce the expense to the minimum. A state nursery is not an 
experiment since many of the other states have already made good 
progress in forestation work through this means. 

The Department of Forestry in Idaho maintains a forest tree nursery 




Fig. 101— The Carolina poplar makes very rapid growth in river bottom land. The 
photograph shows ' a planting five years old. Some trees are 35 feet in height 
and 7 inches in diameter. 



of 1,000,000 trees. The trees are distributed to private planters at a 
slight increase over cost of production. Kansas has two state nurseries 
which are strongly endorsed by the State Forester. The trees suitable 
for reforestation work are furnished at approximate cost of production. 
Kentucky has two state forest nurseries; Maine, one, under the De- 
partment of Forestry of the University; Maryland, one state nursery 
where trees are supplied at cost of production. 



212 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



Massachusetts maintains three forest nurseries. About 1,200,000 trees 
are supplied annually, free of charge for planting on the state lands 
(state forests and state lands under other State Departments). Michigan 
plants about 200 acres of land annually with trees supplied from her 
state nursery. Minnesota has a state nursery which supplies forest trees 
for planting on the state forest lands and at Itasca State Park. North 
Dakota has a state nursery in connection with the State School of For- 
estry. Trees are supplied annually for, public and private planting, free 
of cost, to practically every county in the state. New Hampshire has 
reforested many thousands of acres with trees supplied from the state 




Fig. 102 — Forestry .seed beds at the nursery of the Iowa State College at Ames. If 
extensive tree plantings or forestration is attempted at any of the Iowa lakes 
or marshes, seeds and young tree plants for the work would be supplied from 
the college nurseries. 



nursery. New York has done much work in reforestation and now main- 
tains five state forest nurseries. Trees for public planting are furnished 
at the nominal price of 50 cents per thousand. In addition to the plant- 
ing of the state lands, an area of about 15,000 acres has been planted 
privately. 

Ohio has supplied more than 2,000,000 trees for public and private 
planting from a state nursery under the State Agricultural Experiment 
Station. Pennsylvania maintains twenty-six state forest nurseries which 
supply trees, free of cost, for public or private planting. In 1917 Pennsyl- 
vania will furnish about 5,000,000 trees from her state nurseries, which 
will reforest from 2,500 to 5,000 acres. Vermont has furnished over 



POSSIBILITIES OK KE-KOKKSTATIMN 



213 



4,000,000 trees in the past seven years from her state nursery; and Wis- 
consin produces 1,000,000 trees annually, sufficient to reforest 1,000 acres. 
It is probable that other states, not included in the above list, have 
state forest nurseries for the production of trees for planting the state 
and private lands. Iowa's needs for reforestation work are probably 
greater than those of many of the states above listed. 

Advantages of a State Nursery. 

In providing a state nursery under competent management, it would 
be possible to produce the trees best adapted for planting on the different 
sites where reforestation work is needed. 

Capacity, Land Required, [Etc. 

It is recommended that the proposed nursery be started with a capacity 
of 1,000,000 trees annually. This would not mean that 1,000,000 trees 




Fig. 103 — Men at work transplanting young trees in field. View shows reforestation 
work on some waste lands adjoining the Mississippi River. There are many 
areas bordering the lakes which are quite similar to these lands which might be 
profitably planted to trees and eventually serve as forest parks. 



would be available during the first year, since many of the trees most suit- 
able for reforestation work, especially the evergreens, must be three to 
five years old before being planted. The capacity of the nursery could 
be increased as needed. An area of approximately ten acres would be 
required for this nursery. 

Furnishing Trees for Forestation Work. 

The trees should be supplied without cost for reforestation work about 
the lakes, either when state land is being planted or when the planting 
is done by counties, towns, organizations or private parties, so long as 
the land thus improved is open to the use of the public. 

Surplus Tree Stock. 

Trees raised in excess of those needed for the lake improvement should 
be furnished, first, for planting other state lands which may be designated 
as state parks, etc. 



214 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



Any remaining trees should be made available for the planting of 
areas which will be of public interest, such as county or municipal forest 
parks, the trees to be furnished without cost, for such projects. Surplus 
trees might also be utilized for the reforestation of some of the denuded 
bluff lands adjoining some of our larger water courses, where erosion of 
the hillsides not only threatens the beauty of the localities but also causes 
the excessive filling in of the river beds. 

A good opportunity is also afforded for using some of the trees grown 
at the state nursery, for planting along the transcontinental and principal 
state highways. The planting of uniform varieties of trees — if properly 
spaced and trimmed — would add an attractiveness to our highways which 
at the present time is largely wanting. The counties through which 




Fig. 104 — Island land in the Mississippi River, showing cottonwood, birch, and elm 
trees, which thrive in very wet situations. This is similar to many areas found 
bordering the Iowa lakes. The Agricultural Experiment Station has conducted 
some tree planting experiments on lands similar to this, which have given 
results. . 



these highways pass would unquestionably give substantial co-operation 
in this work. 



Funds for Nursery and Planting Work. 

The sum of $5,000 annually would be needed for the proper installation 
and maintenance of a state nursery. This sum would provide for an 
annual output of from 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 trees, depending on the 
species, age, size, and number of times the trees were transplanted. The 
capacity would necessarily be under this figure for the first two or three 
years. 

A state forest nursery might well be established in connection with 
the State Agricultural Experiment Station and the Forestry Department at 
Ames. The following advantages would be found in this location: 



rnssilMUTIKS OK KK-H)KKST.\T10N 



2 i 5 



The cost of administration would be minimized, since the 
technically trained foresters of the Forestry Department would 
supervise the nursery work. 

A large part of the land needed for a state nursery is now 
available for nursery purposes without additional cost to the 
state. 

A nursery with a capacity of 100,000 trees is now in operation 
under the Experiment Station and Forestry Department. 

The use of student labor would cut down the cost of pro- 
duction. 




Fig. 105 — Bare stretch of shore line along the southeast shore of Little Wall Lake. 
The planting of coniferous and broad leaved trees along this stretch would make 
a beautiful park for the use of the people in the vicinity. 

A central location in the state is desirable, together with its 
good transportation facilities, to make the shipment of trees easy 
and economical. 



CHAPTER FOUR — A PLAN FOR THE FORESTATION OF LANDS 
ADJOINING NORTH TWIN LAKE 



North Twin Lake in Calhoun county was not selected to illustrate the 
possibilities for forestation work because it is a more desirable lake to 
improve than many others in the state, but merely to show what might 
be accomplished at a relatively small cost, by planting trees on a strip 
about 500 feet wide about the lake. 

North Twin Lake, located about five miles north of Rockwell City, 
is particularly desirable for improvement work, since a summer resort 
is now in operation at the south end, which seems to attract a large 
number of people. At this point, there is a relatively large amount of 
native timber which extends up the eastern side of the lake for a short 
distance. In another clump of timber within a short distance of the 
north end, there are at present five summer cottages. Around the balance 
of the lake, the timber occurs only as a very thin fringe, in most places 



216 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



consisting of willow, ash, white elm, bur oak, cottonwood, red elm, iron- 
wood, and basswood. On the east shore of the lake the burr oak pre- 
dominates, while on the west side very little oak is found. The timber 
on the west shore is much less conspicuous than that on the east shore. 

A road now extends along a portion of the west shore of the lake. If 
improvement work is undertaken, a road should be extended around the 
entire lake, in order that the shore may be made accessible from as many 
points as possible. 

The investigation did not determine the detailed cost of the land 
recommended for planting, since this would involve a more extended 
survey. On parts of the shore, the land has greatly increased in price, 
due to the fact that private resorts are now being established. Consider- 
able areas along the border could now, without question, be purchased 




Pig. 106 — Section of the shore line on North Twin Lake, in Calhoun County, which 
needs little improvement except the widening of the strip of timber by planting 
additional trees. 



at the prevailing prices for agricultural land. Other areas not suitable 
for agricultural purposes could be obtained at a smaller figure. 

The lake indicates one type where it will be necessary for the state 
to purchase agricultural land in case the shores are to be developed for 
the use of all the people. 

It is the purpose of the following detailed report to show what trees 
can be successfully planted on the various situations about the lake. For 
convenience, the shore line of seven and two-thirds miles has been divided 
into forty-eight blocks or areas, with recommendations for the planting of 
each. The average width of the land recommended for forestation 
is 500 feet. 

The costs given indicate the approximate costs for the trees required 
for the planting work and the cost of labor in planting. The figures are 



POSSIBILITIES OF RE-FORESTATTON 



217 



based on the trees being grown at a state nursery in considerable quan- 
tities. The cost figures do not include the cost for care during several 
years lollowing the planting, which would be small, nor for the adjust- 
ment of boundary fences, building roads, etc. 

TREES RECOMMENDED FOR PLANTING ON THE SHORES OF 

NORTH TWIN LAKES (CALHOUN COUNTY), WITH 

AN ESTIMATE OF THE INITIAL COST. 

The following figures on cost of planting do not take into account the 
cost of the land, since the investigation did not cover this point. About 
80 per cent of the areas listed (see Blocks 1 to 48 on Plate 71), are agri- 
cultural, the remaining 20 per cent are steep banks or low, wet lands. 



<*£»M 






Fig. 107 — Section of shore line along North Twin Lake, showing the very thin fringe 
of trees which occupy the shore. By planting a strip of timber 500 feet in 
width, the shores would eventually attract a large number of people for recre- 
ational purposes. 



The prices for trees are based on having the trees supplied from a state 
forest nursery. 

The following shows the trees recommended and the cost of planting, 
by blocks: 

Block 1. Has a few scattered bur oak trees which should be preserved. 
Trees recommended are bur oak, white elm and red pine. 
Area — 5.28 acres. 
Total trees required — 3,000. 
Total cost of trees and planting— $60.00. 
Block 2. Consists of lower land than Block 1. Cottonwood, basswood 
and willow should be planted on the lowest lands adjoining 
the lakes, and white elm and Norway spruce on the remainder 
of the area. 
Area, — 15.78 acres. 

Cottonwood and willow cuttings — 5,000. 
Basswood, elm and Norway spruce trees — 6,600. 
Cost of cuttings, trees and planting work — $120.00. 



218 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



Block S. This block is composed of a park-like stand of bur oak, ash, 
basswood and elm, with some scattering willows along the 
shore front. The present stand of trees should be improved 
by trimming and in a Ifew places a few additional trees could 
be added to the stand. However, no additional extensive 
planting would be required in this block. 
Area — 1.3 acres. 

Block Jf. This block has a scattering stand of timber of species similar 
to those found in Block 3. The stand might be improved 
in places by planting a few clumps> of Norway spruce and 
arbor vitae. 

Area — 3.22 acres. 

Additional evergreen trees required — 300. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $5.00. 

Block 5. This area is relatively high and the soil well drained. The 
white pine planted in rather dense clumps would make a 
good tree for this situation. 

Area — 5.97 acres. 

Trees required — 4,200. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $60.00. 

Block 6. This area is now pasture land. Trees recommended are the 
white elm, red oak and arborvitae. 
Area — 7.75 acres. 
Total trees required — 5,000. 
Total cost of trees and planting — $75.00. 

Block 7. A scattered stand of ash, basswood, bur oak and haw is found 
on the area. Reproduction of these trees has been prevented, 
due to the fact that the land has been heavily grazed by 
hogs and sheep. The present stand of timber should be 
cleaned up and additional trees of white elm and Norway 
spruce should be planted. 

Area — 5.06 acres. 

Additional trees required — 1,500. 

Cost of trees and planting— $25.00. 
Block S. This block consists of a low point without any native tree 
growth. The land is low and swampy in places. Trees 
recommended are cottonwood, Norway spruce and arborvitae. 

Area — .81 of an acre. 

Total trees required — 600. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $9.00. 

Block 9. This area consists of improved agricultural land of good quality. 
It is suggested that the area be planted with a variety of 
trees — black walnut, birch, hard maple, red elm, Austrian 
pine and red cedar. 

Area — 15.97 acres. 

Total trees required — 10,000. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $160.00. 



POSSIBILITIES OF KE-FORESTATION 219 

Block ID. An open stand, mostly bur oak, with an undergrowth Of haw, 
The undergrowth has been damaged through excessive graz- 
ing and should be cleared out before additional planting is 
attempted. The present stand should be supplemented by 
planting Norway spruce and hemlock — both shade-enduring 
species. 

Area — .97 of an acre. 

Total trees required — 200. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $5.00. 
Block 11. This is a narrow strip of open timber — bur oak, basswood and 
ash. A number of the present trees are defective and should 
be removed. Trees recommended for additional planting 
are hard maple and arborvitae. 

Area — .92 of an acre. 

Total trees required — 200. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $5.00. 
Block 12. This block has no tree growth except a row of the poorer 
species at the water's edge. This should be treated in a 
similar manner to Block 9, by the planting of a variety of 
trees including scarlet oak, black walnut, hard maple, white 
elm, Russian olive. Scotch pine and European larch. 

Area — 17.05 acres. 

Total trees required — 8,500. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $160.00. 

Block IS. This area consists of rather low land but is not swampy. Trees 
recommended are white elm, hard maple, hemlock and red 
cedar. 
Area — 2.53 acres. 
Total trees required — -1,500. 
Total cost of trees and planting — $25.00. 
Block l.'i. This area is similar to Block 13. Trees recommended are 
white elm, basswood, Norway spruce,' and arborvitae. 
Area — 2.59 acres. 
Total trees required — 1,500. 
Total cost of trees and planting — $25.00. 
Block 15. Consists of good agricultural land higher than either Block 
13 or Block 14. Trees recommended are white birch, red 
elm, red oak, hickory, and western yellow pine. 
Area — 12.4 acres. 
Total trees required — 6,000. 
Total cost of trees and planting— $120.00. 
Block. 16. This area is high and well drained. Trees recommended are 
white pine, red pine, European larch, Russian olive, and red 
oak. 
Area — 18.1 acres. 
Total trees required — 8,000. 
Total cost of trees and planting — $175.00. 



220 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 

Block 17. This area consists of a relatively high hank. A thin fringe of 
trees is present at the water's edge. The bank should be 
protected by the planting, in a rather dense stand, of red 
cedar, arborvitae, Norway spruce and white pine. 

Area — 2.36 acres. 

Total trees required — 2,400. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $30.00. 

Bloclc 18. This block consists' of a relatively high knoll. Trees recom- 
mended are white pine, European larch, Norway spruce, 
scarlet oak, and hard maple. 
Area — 3.56 acres. 
Total trees required — 2,100. 
Total cost of trees and planting — $35.00. 

Block 19. This block consists of good agricultural land. Trees recom- 
mended are ash, hackberry, bur oak, Austrian pine, west- 
ern yellow pine, and red cedar. 

Area — 9.3 acres. 

Total trees required — 5,500. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $85.00. 

Block 20. Consists of a small stretch of low land suitable for hardy ca- 
talpa, arborvitae, and Norway spruce. 
Area — .57 of an acre. 
Total trees required — 400. 
Total cost of trees and planting — $7.00. 

Block, 21. This area has a good stand of native bur oak timber. The plot 
is enclosed with a fence and five summer cottages have been 
erected near the shore "line. No additional planting is 
needed in this block. 

Block 22. Consists of a long strip of land bordering the northern point of 
North Twin Lake. This area has a northerly exposure. 
Trees suitable for planting are white elm, hackberry, bur 
oak, basswood, western yellow pine, Norway spruce and 
arborvitae. 

Area — 23.8 acres. 

Total trees required — 13,000. 

Total cost of trees and planting— $210.00. 

Block 23. Consists of a strip of low land bordering the northern tip of 
north Twin Lake. Some of this area is too swampy for any 
species. Parts of the area should be planted with willow, 
cottonwood, aborvitae, and Norway spruce. 

Area — 3.68 acres. 

Total trees required — 2,400. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $25.00. 



POSSIBILITIES OK RE PRESTATION 



221 



Block .?'/. This area is similar to Block 23, except that it has a slight 
southerly exposure instead of a northerly one. Trees to be 
used should be similar to those recommended for Block 23. 

Area — 5.63 acres. 

Total trees required — 4,000. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $50.00. 

Block 25. This area comprises a strip about 3,000 feet in length, with a 
southerly exposure. Trees recommended for planting should 
be somewhat drought resistant because of the exposure. 
Trees recommended are the hackberry, green ash, bur oak, 
Russian olive, red pine, Austrian pine, western yellow pine, 
red cedar, and Block Hills spruce. 

Area — 30.45 acres. 

Total trees required — 20,000. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $285.00. 

Block 26. Consists of a small area of planted willows. The trees are old 
and badly decayed and should be underplanted with a few 
shade enduring species such as hard maple, Norway spruce, 
arborvitae and red cedar. 

Total — .69 of an acre. 

Total trees required — 300. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $8.00. 

Block 21. This area is a portion of a farmstead adjoining the lake. The 
block consists of planted timber — mostly ash. The trees 
have been damaged by stock and overcrowding. The trees 
should be thinned out and a few additional hardy trees 
planted. The area also includes a narrow strip along the 
shore of the lake, where a scanty growth of native timber 
is found. The trees recommended for planting here are the 
Black Hills spruce, Scotch and Austrian pines where there 
is sufficient light, and bur oak. 

Area — 1.95 acres. 

Total trees required — 1,000. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $18.00. 

Block 28. This block is also a portion of a farmstead, having been planted 
with soft maple trees. The plantation is now about twenty- 
five years old and is in fair condition. In order to make the 
planting permanent, it is recommended that the present 
stand be underplanted with the more tolerant trees, includ- 
ing hard maple, Norway and Black Hills spruces, hemlock, 
and arborvitae. 

Area — 3.1 acres. 

Total trees required — 1,800. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $25.00. 



222 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



Block 29. This area lies between the main portion of north lake and the 
shallow arm extending to the eastward. Trees recommended 
are the white elm, black walnut, basswood and red cedar. 

Area — 1.95 acres. 

Total trees required — 1,000. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $20.00. 

Block 30. This area comprises a stretch about 3,000 feet in length on the 
north shore of Twin Lake. The entire area consists of good 
agricultural land and a good variety of trees should he 
planted, including white elm, red elm, hackberry, scarlet and 
red oaks, black walnut, white birch, European larch, white 
pine, and Norway spruce. 

Area — 29.5 acres. 

Total trees required— 20,000. 

Cost of trees and planting — $275.00. 

Block 31. Comprises low areas adjoining a shallow arm of north Twin 
Lake. The block extends around three sides of this arm. 
Portions of the area are too swampy for tree growth; how- 
ever, most of this land can be planted. The trees recom- 
mended are the willow, cottonwood, and arborvitae for the 
lowest situations; sycamore, basswood, white elm and Nor- 
way spruce for the remaining areas. 

Area — 23.3 acres. 

Total trees and cuttings required — 15,000. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $210.00. 
Block 32. Comprises flat lowland but which is apparently well drained. 

Trees recommended are white elm, walnut, Norway spruce, 
arborvitae, and red cedar, and red elm. 

Area — 8.55 acres. 

Total trees required — 6,000. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $75.00. 
Block 33. This area is similar to Block 32. The same species should be 
used. 

Area — 10.33 acres. 

Total trees required — 7,000. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $90.00. 
Block 34. This area is slightly higher than Blocks 32 and 33. Trees rec- 
ommended for planting are the white pine, red pine, Nor- 
way spruce, red oak, and Russian olive. 

Area — 3.36 acres. 

Total trees required — 2,000. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $30.00. 
Block 35. This is made up of good agricultural soil. Species recom- 
mended for planting are white elm, hackberry, black walnut, 
white birch, hardy catalpa, red cedar and arborvitae. 

Area- — 15.34 acres. 

Total trees required — 9,000. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $150.00. 



possibilities of re-forestation 223 

JHovk 86. This block comprises a low meadow, most of the area being 
from 1 to 2 feet above the water level of the lake. Lowland 
species should be used in planting this area, such as cotton- 
\\ "(id, willow, soft maple, and arborvitae. 
Area — 10.33 acres. 
Total trees required — 6,000. 
Total cost of trees and planting — $90.00. 

Block 87. Good agricultural land. The rather steep slope bordering the 
shore of the lake should be planted to the species — red cedar, 
Austrian pine, Scotch pine, and arborvitae; the balance of 
the area, to white elm, white pine, black walnut, and hack- 
berry. 

Area — 15.34 acres. 

Total trees required — 10,000. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $150.00. 

Block 88. Consists of a farmstead partially planted with some cotton- 
wood, soft maple, and ash trees. The timber is in bad con- 
dition and should be improved. In order to make the plant- 
ing of a permanent nature, the present growth of trees 
should be underplanted with Norway spruce, red cedar, 
hard maple, and arborvitae. The area of the farmstead 
needing replanting would approximate 4 acres. 

Total trees required — 1,500. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $30.00. 

Block 89. Comprises a narrow strip, mostly a rather steep bank along 
the shore of the lake. A straggling growth of inferior trees 
is to be found at the water's edge. The slope should be 
protected from erosion by the planting of white pine, Nor- 
way spruce, red cedar, arborvitae, and Russian olive. 

Area — 1.61 acres. 

Total trees required — 1,000. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $15.00. 

Block 40- This is an area of good agricultural land and should have a 
variety of trees. Those recommended are the white elm, 
black walnut, scarlet oak, white birch, white pine, yellow 
pine, European larch, and Norway spruce. 

Area — 27 acres. 

Total trees required— 20,000. 

Total cost of trees and planting— $260.00. 

Block -'/J. A small area bordering the lake, which is low but under ordin- 
ary conditions, is not swampy. Trees recommended are the 
cottonwood, soft maple, Norway spruce, and arborvitae. 

Area- — 1 acre. 

Total trees required — 800. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $10.00. 



224 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



Block J{2. This block has several rows of soft maple and ash trees. The 
space between these rows should be planted with elm, Nor- 
way spruce, and basswood. 

Area — 1.95 acres. 

Total trees required — 1,000. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $16.00. 

Block 43. This block is similar to Block 42, except that no trees are at 
present found on the land. The same species should be 
planted as in Block 42. 

Area — 4.32 acres. 

Total trees required — 3,000. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $40.00. 

Block 44- This area consists of rather low land extending on each side of 
a drainage ditch. Cottonwood, arborvitae, and Norway 
spruce would be desirable for planting here. 

Area — 2.24 acres. 

Total trees required — 1,800. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $20.00. 

Block 45. This area consists of good farm land. Most any species of 
trees would thrive on this soil. Those recommended are the 
white elm, black walnut, white birch, hardy catalpa, white 
pine, European larch, and arborvitae. 

Area — 17.7 acres. 

Total trees required — 14,000. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $160.00. 

Block 46- This area is at present, treeless but adjoins the land now des- 
ignated as the Twin Lakes Resort. The trees recommended 
for planting on this area are the white elm, white birch, red 
oak, hard maple, Russian olive, red pine, Norway spruce, 
and arborvitae. 

Area — 11.48 acres. 

Total trees required — 8,000. 

Total cost of trees and planting — $100.00. 

Block Jft. This area is a swamp which would probably be impossible to 
drain. It is possible that a few trees might be able to sur- 
vive if placed along the shores; however, practically all of 
the area would not be suitable for tree growth. 

Block 48. This area includes what Is now known as the Twin Lakes Re- 
sort. The area is quite well timbered at the present time. 
A number of buildings occupy the land and the resort seems 
to be used to a considerable extent, especially by people 
from Rockwell City. Portions of this resort could unques- 
tionably be improved by planting a few trees. 



l'OSSllHUTIKS OP RE-FORESTATION 225 



S I'M MARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 

Total area of land recommended for improvement, 388 acres. 

Total cost of land, if purchased by the State, not determined. 

Total cost of trees required for planting the 500-foot strip 
about North Twin Lake (388 acres), including cost of labor for 
planting, $3,893.00. 

If extensive improvement is attempted, a careful survey should be made 
to determine the cost of the land suggested for improvement, and the 
possible elimination of certain areas which may now be too expensive for 
purchase by the state. 

It is suggested that the improvement work be extended over a period of 
approximately ten years — the Blocks for first improvement to be desig- 
nated after subsequent investigation on cost of land. 



15 



22tf LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



CHAPTER FIVE — A PLAN FOR THE REFORESTATION OF LANDS 
ADJOINING BLUE LAKE IN MONONA COUNTY 



Blue Lake which is situated almost midway between Sioux City and 
Council Bluffis, is one of the lakes in western Iowa, which, if properly 
developed, will mean much to the people in that portion of the state. 

Unlike some of the "cut-off" lakes along large streams, the water of 
Blue Lake is clear and, with proper surroundings, would be as attractive 
as any other body of water in the state. If developed, the lake will serve 
as a summer resort and recreation grounds for the people,- and, at the 
same time, can be made attractive from the sportsmen's standpoint, by 
the proper protecting of the fish and by stocking the adjacent areas with 
game. 

Although it is probable that the state does not now control any of the 
land adjoining the lake, as is supposed by certain individuals in the lo- 
cality, yet the land is such that it could be purchased at a very small 
figure. By referring to Plate 72, it will be noted that the lake forms a 
U. Several hundred acres of land included between the two arms of the 
lake are little more than waste areas. A considerable area is flat, while 
half or more of the area is made up of small sand dunes. It is stated that 
in the early days this land was fairly well timbered. At the present time, 
however, due to overgrazing and excessive cutting, the few scattering 
trees now remaining are merely those which were not good enough for 
cutting. Investigation covering the area, showed that considerable areas 
of the sand dunes were shifting. Due to the destruction of the native 
timber and due to heavy grazing, the sand is loose and subject to wind 
erosion. In one place it was found that the sand had been blown out to 
a depth of fully 10 feet. It is quite probable that, unless some measures 
are taken for preventing the excessive wind erosion, adjoining lands may 
be overblown with sand and rendered worthless. It is even possible that 
the lake may be partially filled in and the locality made of little value 
for recreational purposes. 

If the development of the lake is attempted, one of the first things to 
be done is to get the shifting sands under control. Even though the 
reforestation of a relatively small area of the peninsula be started during 
the next year or so, it must be eventually followed up with other planting, 
in order to secure the lake and reforested areas against the shifting sands. 

Although there are only a few species of timber now in evidence on this 
portion of the peninsula, it is probably due to the fact that the more de- 
sirable trees have been cut. The soil and climate are such as would war- 
rant the planting of many desirable species of trees. It is probable that 
in handling the areas where the soil is shifting, it will be necessary to 
start reforestation work with some tree species which is rapid in growth 
during the first few years. Cottonwood is particularly well adapted for 



P0SSIB1U TIICS OK ItH-FURKSTATlOX 



227 



this work. Planting on these anas should then be carried forward, 
using the longer-lived trees as far as possible. 

Awn and Description. 

Although the improvement work around Blue lake should eventually in- 
clude other areas, this plan considers only a portion of land known as 
the "neck", which is included between the two arms of the lake. 

The area for which this planting plan is prepared consists of approx- 
imately 400 acres. About one-half of this area is quite flat and is less 
than five feet in elevation above the lake. The remainder is made up of 
low sand hills — the highest being about fifteen feet in height. 

The surface soil on the lower areas is a sandy loam with some occas- 
ional clay. The soil of the low undulating hills is almost pure sand 
which is badly eroded by the action of the wind where the light vegeta- 
tive cover is broken. The vegetation on the flat areas bordering the lake 




Fig. 108 — Scattered growth of timber on the neck of land between the two arms of 
Blue l,ake, in Monona County. The sandy stretches shown in the picture are 
shifting from year to year through the action of the wind. In places the trees 
have been practically uprooted. This makes up a portion of the area recom- 
mended for improvement along Blue Lake. By planting suitable species of trees, 
the blowing sand will be checked and a beautiful forest park will be made 
available for the tise of the people. It, is probable that this land could be pur- 
chased at a price of a few dollars per acre, since it has little or no agricultural 
value. 



is made up of grass and weeds of sufficient density to form a moderately 
heavy sod. 

Where the First Reforestation Work Should Start. 

Block 1 on Plate 72 shows the area which should be improved first. 
This adjoins one of the most beautiful sections of the lake; is more 
easily accessible from the nearest town, Onawa, than other parts; and 
lends itself readily to reforestation work. The planting plan provides 
for the completion of the reforestation of this area of about 
400 acres in ten years, by planting annually approximately 40 
acres. (See accompanying map.) If other areas are included at a later 
date, the planting plan might either be extended for a longer period of 
years, or the plan might be adjusted so as to provide for the planting of 
more than 40 acres annually during the ten year period. 



228 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



Type of Reforestation Work. 

The sentiment of the residents in the locality of Blue Lake indicates 
that a forest park is desired — one which is free from the formal features 
of city parks, but which, in addition to the reforestation of the areas, 
provides for adequate drives. 

The group system of planting, with an irregular spacing of the trees, 
and allowing open spaces, should be followed in carrying out the work. 

Drives. 

As soon as possible the drive, indicated as crossing the extreme north 
end of the lake and extending the length of Block 1, should be constructed, 
in order to make the area easily accessible to the public. Thisi would 
necessitate the construction of a dam or fill across a shallow portion of 
the lake. The road should connect with the county road to the south. 
Other drives, as indicated, should be constructed as the area is developed. 
Shifting Sands. 

Although the plan calls for the planting of definite areas during each 
year of the ten-year period, the work of subduing the shifting sands 





Fig. 109— Blue Lake, Monona County. A stretch of flat land adjoining Blue Lake. 
This area should be planted with groups of elm, arborvitae, basswood, Norway- 
spruce, and other species. 



should proceed as fast as funds will permit. It is quite probable that on 
the worst portions of the area, some preliminary planting of fast-grow- 
ing trees should be done in order to prevent the covering or up-rooting of 
the slower-growing, permanent trees which will make up the final stand. 

Trees for Planting. 

A large variety of trees will be suitable for planting. The Red and 
White elms should be well represented on the flat lands bordering the 
shore of the lake. The Cottonwood and soft maple should be used in 
places to give quick results but should be reinforced with longer lived 
trees — thus allowing the removal of the temporary trees after a period of 
from twenty to forty years. Some of the other broadleaf trees which 
should be planted are the black walnut, basswood, bur oak and red oaks, 
catalpa, Russian olive, hickories, hard maple, sycamore, ash, birch, and 
honey locust. (See accompanying map.) 



POSSIBILITIES OF RE-FORESTATION 229 

On the rolling sandy areas the pines will be very effective in the re- 
forestation work, since they are much Less exacting and will thrive on 
poor sandy soils. Most of the pines are slow in initial growth, and, as a 
result, in planting the areas where the sand is being moved by the wind, 
it will lie necessary to make use of shelter trees. The Cottonwood will be 
very effective for this shelter planting, since it is very rapid, in growth. 
After the pines are established the shelter trees may properly be removed 
and marketed for lumber or other purposes. The pines which should be 
used are the white pine, red pine, western yellow pine, Austrian pine, 
Scotch pine and Jack pine. Other evergreens which should be included 
for planting the different areas are the Norway and Black Hills spruces, 
European larch, red cedar and arborvitae. 

An Estimate of the Cost of Proposed Reforestation AYork Adjoining 
Blue Lake in Monona County. 

The figures do not include the cost of purchasing the 400 acres of land 
of poor quality suggested for planting, since the investigation did not cover 
this point. Also the figures do not include the cost of road construction, 
which would be small, nor the cost oil protection and maintenance of 
the improved areas. 

As previously stated the planting plan suggests the reforestation of an 
area of approximately 40 acres each year for the next ten years. 

For the tree species recommended for planting in the various sub-di- 
visions of the Block, see the accompanying map. 

Block I—(1917) 

Some sentiment about E'lue Lake favors the development of the 
area designated as Block I, first, since this is more accessible and 
joins one of the most desirable sections of the lake. 

Total area of Block — 40 acres. 

Total trees of all species required — 17,000. 

Estimated cost of planting, including trees — $420.00. 
Block II— (1918) 

Total area of Block — 40 acres. 

Total trees of all species required — 16,000. 

Estimated cost of planting, including trees — $410.00. 
Block III— (1919) 

Total area of Block — 40 acres. 

Total trees of all species required — 17,500. 

Estimated cost of planting, including trees — $435.00. 
Block IV— (1920) 

Total area of Block— 40 acres. 

Total trees of all species required — 20,000. 

Estimated cost of planting, including trees — $475.00. 

Block V— (1921) 

Total area 'of Block — 40 acres. 

Total trees of! all species required — 25,000. 

Estimated cost of planting, including trees — $490.00. 



230 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OP IOWA 

Block VI— (1922) 

Total area of Block — 40 acres. 

Total trees of all species required — 35,000. 

Estimated cost of planting, including trees — $525.00. 

Block VII— (1923) 

Total area of Block — 40 acres. 

Total trees of all species required — 27,000. 

Estimated cost of planting, including trees — $500.00. 

Block VIII— (1924) 

Total area of Block — 40 acres. 

Total trees of all species required — 22,000. 

Estimated cost of planting, including trees — $525.00. 

Block IX— (1925) 

Total area of Block — 40 acres. 

Total trees of all species required — 22,000. 

Estimated cost of planting, including trees — $525.00. 

Block X— (1926) 

Total area of Block — 40 acres. 

Total trees of all species required — 24,000. 

Estimated cost of planting, including trees — $500.00. 

Summary of Costs. 

Total area of Blocks I to X, 400 acres. 

Total trees required for Blocks I to X, 225,500. 

Estimated total cost of planting the 400 acres, distributed over 

the 10 year period, $4,805.00. 



CHAPTER SIX — SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS 



The investigation has brought out several points which should be given 
consideration. These are as follows: 

(1) A large number of Iowa's lake shores are devoid of tree growth or 
have only limited numbers of trees present, a condition which makes the 
lakes much less attractive for the use of the people. 

(2) In many instances private interests about the lake shores render 
access to the lakes either difficult or impossible. 

(3) Privately owned lands which are cultivated close to the lake 
borders, often cause a filling in of portions of these lakes through the 
washing of the loose soil. 

(4) The steeper slopes bordering the lakes, which have been denuded 
of tree growth, are being cut up into unsightly gutters, a condition which 
might be remedied or prevented by reforestation. 

(5) Many low areas, bordering the lakes, and unsuited for other pur- 
poses, might profitably be planted to trees. 

(6) Sandy or barren areas which occur bordering some of the lakes 
of the state which are now of little value, could be reforested at a small 
expense and would serve as state forest parks. 

The following suggestions or recommendations are offered: 

(1) That the state authorize the establishment of a state forest nurs- 
ery with a capacity of from 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 trees annually, to furnish 
proper trees for reforestation work about the lakes and on other lands. 

(2) That the state authorize the furnishing of trees from a state nurs- 
ery, for reforestation work, free of cost, to counties, towns, or other 
organizations which are planting land which will serve as forest parks 
for the people. 

(3) That the state provide for the purchase, at an early date, of 
certain land bordering the lakes which are, without question, desirable 
for reforestation purposes, and which should be held by the state. 

(4) That provision be made for experimental forestation work on 
lake beds which have been, or will be drained, and which have little value 
for agricultural purposes. 



232 LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



CHAPTER SEVEN — FINANCIAL REPORT 



The act of the Thirty-sixth General Assembly providing for the in- 
vestigation and report on Iowa Lakes, provides that the State Highway 
Commission shall conduct such investigation and make report, with the 
assistance of students and instructors in the Engineering Departments 
of the Iowa State College and the State University of Iowa. Under the 
general terms of this act, all salaries are to be paid from appropriations 
already provided, and all expenses from the general state fund. 

In preparing this statement of the cost of the lake bed investigation, 
endeavor has been made to set out all expenditures, from' whatever funds 
paid, and all expenditures have been included except salaries of instructors 
in the above named state institutions. This statement includes all salaries 
of employees of the State Highway Commission and of the Fish and 
Game Department, and all expenses incident to the investigation and 
preparation of this report. 

All expenditures made prior to July 1, 1916, from the appropriation 
for the State Highway Commission and charged to this investigation are 
included in the total expenditures of the Highway Commission as pub- 
lished in the 1916 annual report of the Commission and in the report ofi 
the Executive Council for the biennial period ended June 30, 1916. 

While it is desirable that the portion of the cost of the investigation 
chargeable to each lake be shown, it would require a very detailed system 
of accounting to show such portion by direct charge. Furthermore, in 
the beginning of the investigation, the extent of the undertaking was 
h?"Cy appreciated and no such detailed records were instituted. In 
nnally arriving at the cost of the survey and report on each lake, it 
was decided to apportion the total cost on the basis of the number of 
acres surveyed in connection with each lake. In many respects this 
manner of distributing the cost among the various lakes is more equit- 
able than a direct charge of each expenditure, a& the cost of! the field 
work done during the winter was much greater than the cost of that 
done during other seasons of the year, and the necessity of completing 
the survey and report at a stated time, made it necessary to prosecute 
the work through all seasons of the year. 

In the schedules which follow, the items of expense have been classi- 
fied both according to the funds from which paid and according to the 
departments conducting the work. 

SCHEDULE 25.— EXPENDITURES FROM APPROPRIATIONS FOR 
STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION. 

Salary of Drainage Engineer $ 2,765.00 

Salaries of Engineers and Assistants 6,649.96 

Salaries of Draftsmen 2,753.68 

Total $12,168.64 



FINANCIAL KKI'OKT 233 

SCHEDULE 26.— EXPENDITURES FROM FISH AND GAME PROTK 

TIOX FUND. 

Salaries of Engineers and Assistants $2,700.09 

total $ 2,700.09 

SCHEDULE 27.— EXPEND IT UK US FliOM GENERAL STATE FUND. 

Expenses of Drainage Engineer $ 1,027.61 

Expenses of Engineers and Assistants employed by State Highway Commission 7,521.63 

Expenses of C. E. Department, I. S. C 1,480.67 

Expenses of Fish and Game Department 1,647.90 

Expenses of Farm Crops Department 253.29 

Expenses of Botanical Department 139.94 

Expenses of Forestry Department 7.96 

Expenses of Chief Engineer 84.90 

Expenses of Commissioners 317.81 

Supplies 291.16 

Total $12,772.87 

SCHEDULE 28.— EXPENDITURES FOR WORK DONE BY EMPLOYEES. 
OF STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION. 

Salaries of Engineers and Assistants $6,649.96 

Expenses of Engineers and Assistants 7,521.63 

Salaries of Draftsmen 2,753.68 

Supplies 291.16 

Total $17,216.43 

SCHEDULE 29.— EXPENDITURES FOR WORK DONE BY ENGINEER- 
ING DEPARTMENT OF IOWA STATE COLLEGE. 

Expenses of Instructors and Students, I. S. C $ 1,480.67 



Total $ 1,480.67 

SCHEDULE 30.— EXPENDITURES FOR WORK DONE BY FISH AND 
GAME DEPARTMENT. 

Salaries of Engineers and Assistants $2,700.09 

Expenses of Engineers and Assistants 1,647.90 

Total $ 4,347.y9 

SCHEDULE 31.— EXPENDITURES FOR FARM CROPS, BOTANICAL 
AND FORESTRY INVESTIGATIONS. 

Expenses of Farm Crops Department $ 253.29 

Expenses of Botanical Department 139.94 

Expenses of Forestry Department 7.96 

Total $ 401.19 



234 



LAKES AND LAKE BEDS OF IOWA 



SCHEDULE 32.— EXPENDITURES FOR ADMINISTRATION AND SUP- 
ERVISION OF WORK DONE BY ALL DEPARTMENTS. 

Salary of Drainage Engineer $*2,765.00 

Expenses of Drainage Engineer *1,027.61 

Expenses of Chief Engineer of Commission 84.90 

Expenses of Commissioners 317.31 

Total : $ 4,195.32 

SCHEDULE 33.— GENERAL SUMMARY OF ALL EXPENDITURES, 
APRIL 15, 1915, TO JANUARY 1, 1917. 

Salary of Engineer in charge of surveys and field investigations $2,765.00 

Salaries of Engineers and Assistants of State Highway Commission 6,649.96 

Salaries of Engineers and Assistants of Fish and Game Department. 2,700.09 

Salaries of Draftsmen of State Highway Commission 2,753.68 

Field expenses of Engineers and Assistants of the State Highway Commission 7,521.63 

Field expenses of Engineering Department, Iowa State College 1,480.67 

Field expenses of Fish and Game Department 1,647.90 

Field expenses of Farm Crops Investigation 253.29 

Expenses of Botanical Investigations 139.94 

Expenses of Forestry Department Investigation 7.96 

Supplies for Field Work 283.21 

Supplies for Map Work 7.95 

Expenses of State Highway Commissioners ..- 317.81 

Expenses of Chief Engineer of Commission 84.90 

Expenses of Drainage Engineer in charge of Investigation 1,027.61 

Total cost of investigation $27,641.60 

SCHEDULE 34.— SHOWING TOTAL COST OF SURVEY AND REPORT 

ON EACH LAKE. 
SURVEY MADE BY STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION. 



Name of Lake 



In What County 



No. of Acres 
Surveyed 



Cost 



Babcocks 

Blue 

Brown's '.. 

Clear 

Clear 

Dan Green's Slough 

Duck 

East Okoboji 

East Twin 

Elk 

Goose 

Iowa 

Eost Island 

Nobles 

Pickerel 

Round 

Silver 

Silver 

Spirit 

Storm 

Swag 

Swan 

Tow Head 

Tulttle 

Total 



Johnson 

Monona 

Woodbury 

Cerro Gordo 

Pocahontas 

Clay 

Winnebago 

Dickinson 

Hancock 

Clay 

Kossuth 

Emmet 

Clay and Palo Alto 

Pottawattamie & Harrison 

Buena Vista and Clay 

Harrison 

Delaware 

Worth 

Dickinson 

Buena Vista 

Kossuth 

Johnson 

Calhoun 

Emmet 




$ 178.82 

1,109.03 

502.01 

1,613.66 

467.56 

339.60 

257.57 

3,031.77 

342.88 

418.35 

187.02 

639.82 

933.48 

413.42 

310.07 

344.52 

45.28 

356.00 

2,503.51 

1,601.20 

170.62 

54.14 

227.05 

3,313.95 

$19,361.33 



*The Drainage Engineer had general charge of the investigation and preparation 
of the report, but most of his time was spent with the field parties of the Highway 
Commission and of the Engineering Department of the Iowa State College. 

**Area now completed being about 50% total. 



FINANC] M. REPORT 



235 



SURVEY MADE BY ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, [OWA STATE COLLEGE 



Name <>t' Lake 



I ii \\ hat County 



A. re - 
Survej ed 



Cosl 



Cornelia Wright. 

Crystal I lancock . 



Eagle (and Wood) 

Elm 

Xorth and South Twin. 

Twin Sisters 

Wall 

West Twin 

Wood ( see Eagle) 



Total. 



1 1 .in. > ii I, 
\\ right - . 
Calhi mil. 
Wright. . 

Sac 

I [ana » k . 
Hancock . 



1,280 

1,005 
1,515 
2,220 
3,780 

750 
2,260 

365 



13,175 



419.W 
329.75 
497.09 
728.41 
1,240.27 
246.09 
741.54 
119.76 



$ 4,322.90 



SURVEY MADE BY FISH AND GAME DEPARTMENT. 



Name of Lake 



In What County 



No. of Acres 
Surveyed 



Cost 







565 

300 

340 

2,090 

1,015 

411 

440 

960 

(See Hottes) 

(See High) 

260 

355 

1,005 

2,000 

1,035 

715 

460 

110 


$ 185.38 






98.43 


High (and Mud) 




111.56 

685.76 




333.04 




Osceola 


134.85 


Jefferson Slough 

Little Spirit (in Iowa).. 


144.37 




314.99 






Mud (see High) 


Emmet 


85.31 






116.48 


Rush 




329.75 






656.23 




Palo Alto 


339.60 
234.60 






150.93 


Welch 




36.09 








Total 


12,061 


$ 3,957.37 







GRAND TOTALS— ALL DEPARTMENTS. 

Acres surveyed 84,244 

Total cost $27,641.60 

Unit cost per acre $0.328114 

SCHEDULE 35.— COST OF WORK DONE EY VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS. 



Department 



Area Surveyed Cost per Acre 



Total Cost 



Field Work 

Map Work 

Administration and supervision of 

all departments 

Farm Crops, Botanical and Forestry 

Investigations 

Supplies 

Total 




$20,000.25 
2,753.68 

4,195.32 

401.19 
291.16 

$27,641.60 



ILLUSTRATIONS 



Page 

rontispiece Iowa Lake, Emmet County •> 

Ig. 1 — Tuttle Lake, Emmet County 8 

ig. 2 — North Twin Lake, Calhoun County 11 

ig. 3 — ("ass Lake, Minnesota 13 

ig. 4 — Little Wall Lake, Hamilton County '. 17 

ig. 5 — Noble's Lake. Harrison and Pottawattamie Counties IS 

ig. 6 — Croup of Lakebed Survey Parties 24 

ig. 7 — Noble's Lake, Harrison and Pottawattamie Counties 26 

ig. 8 — Douglas Lodge, Itasca State Park, Minnesota 2S 

Pig. 9 — Pickerel Lake, Buena Vista County 39 

Fig. 10 — Pickerel Lake, Buena Vista County 40 

Fig. 11- — North Twin Lake, Calhoun County 43 

Fig. 12 — East Okoboji, Dickinson County 54 

Fig. 13 — East Okoboji, Dickinson County 55 

Fig. 14 — Silver Lake, Dickinson County 5S 

Fig. 15 — Silver Lake, Dickinson County 58 

Fig. 16 — Diamond Lake, Dickinson County 60 

Fig. 17 — Welch Lake, Dickinson County 61 • 

Fig. IS — Tuttle Lake, Emmet County 70 

Fig. 19 — Tuttle Lake, Emmet County 71 

Fig. 20 — Map of Tuttle Lake Region 72 

Fig. 21 — Iowa Lake, Emmet County 75 

Fig. 22 — Iowa Lake, Emmet County 77 

Fig. 23 — Iowa Lake, Emmet County 77 

Fig. 24 — West Swan Lake, Emmet County 78 

Fig. 25 — West Swan Lake, Emmet County 7S 

Fig. 26 — Goose Lake, Greene County S2 

Fig. 27 — Goose Lake, Greene County 82 

Fig. 28 — Goose Lake, Greene County 83 

Fig. 29 — Little Wall Lake, Hamilton County 85 

Fig. 30 — Little Wall Lake, Hamilton County...- 86 

Fig. 31 — Eagle Lake, Hancock County 87 

Fig. 32 — Eagle Lake, Hancock County 88 

Fig. 33 — Crystal Lake, Hancock County 90 

Fig. 34 — Goose Lake, Kossuth County 9S 

Fig. 35 — Swag Lake, Kossuth County 99 

Fig. 36 — Wright Park, Blue Lake, Monona County 102 

Fig. 37 — Blue Lake, Monona County ' 103 

Fig. 3S — Rush Lake, Osceola County 105 

Fig. 39 — Rush Lake, Osceola County. 105 

Fig. 40 — Iowa Lake, Osceola County 106 

Fig. 41 — Rush Lake, Palo Alto County 110 

Fig. 42 — Rush Lake, Palo Alto County Ill 

Fig. 43 — Lost Island Lake, Palo Alto County 112 

Fig. 44 — Brown's Lake, Woodbury County 121 

Fig. 45 — Silver Lake, Worth County 123 

Fig. 46 — Silver Lake, Worth County 124 

Fig. 47 — Wall Lake, Wright County 127 

Fig. 48 — Wall Lake, Wright County 127 

Fig. 49— Wall Lake, Wright County 128 

Fig. 50 — Wall Lake, Wright County 134 

Fig. 51 — Goose Lake, Greene County 135 



238 ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 

Fig-. 52 — Wall Lake, Wright County (damaged corn) 136 

Fig. 53 — Goose Lake, Greene County (damaged corn) 136 

-Fig. 54 — Fields Examined During 1915, Wall Lake, Wright County 139 

Fig. 5'5 — Fields Examined During 1916, Wall Lake, Wright County 141 

Fig. 56 — Fields Examined During- 1915, Trumbull, Lake, Clay County... 144. 

Fig. 57 — Fields Examined During 1915, Goose Lake, Greene County.... 146 

Fig. 58 — Fields Examined During 1916, Goose Lake, Greene County.... 148 

Fig. 59 — Fields Examined During 1915, Muscatine Slough 153 

Fig. 60 — Analysis of Blackbird Stomach Contents 157 

Fig. 61 — Bulrush (Scirpus vialidus — Vahl) . 162 

Fig. 63 — Pond Weed, (Potamogeton natans) 170 

Fig. 64 — Rush Lake," Palo Alto County 172 

Fig. 65 — Rush Lake, Palo Alto County 172 

Fig. 66 — Eagle Lake, Hancock County 174 

Fig. 67 — Eagle Lake, Hancock County 175 

Fig. 68 — Crystal Lake, Hancock County 176 

Fig. 69 — Iowa Lake, Emmet County 178 

Fig. 70 — Arrowhead, (Sagi. Haria latifolia Wiled) 179 

Fig. '71 — Red Cedar Trees, Near Iowa Lake, Emmet County 180 

Fig. 72 — Hackberry, Dogweed, etc., at Iowa Lake, Emmet County 181 

Fig. 73 — Tree Growth, West Swan Lake, Emmet County 181 

Fig. 74 — Black Walnut Trees on Shore of West Swan Lake 182 

Fig. 75 — Plant Life in Silver Lake, Worth County 184 

Fig. 76 — Heavily Wooded Shores of Silver Lake, Worth County 185 

•Fig. 77 — Wild Rice L. (Zinzania palustris) 186 

Fig. 78 — Pondweed (Potamogeton zosterifolius Schum) 187 

Fig. 79 — Greater Bulrush (Scirpus fluviatilis-Torr) 188 

Fig. 80 — Native Timber on Shore of Little Wall Lake .' 193 

Fig. 81 — Forested Shore of Minnesota Lake 194 

Fig. 82 — Students on Forested Lake Shore 194 

Fig. 83 — Forested Lake Shore — Student Laboratory 195 

Fig. 84 — Planted Grove of European Larch. . . . 196 

Fig. 85 — Steep Bank on Bast Shore of North Twin Lake 197 

Fig. 86 — Shore Line of Blue Lake, Monona County 198 

Fig. 87 — Forested Shore of Spirit Lake 199 

Fig. 88 — A Lake Shore Slope Denuded of Tree Growth 200 

Fig. 89 — Native Stand of Pine Timber on Minnesota Lake Shore 200 

Fig. 90 — Swampy Area Adjoining Little Wall Lake 201 

Fig. 91 — State Park at One of Minnesota's Lakes 201 

Fig. 92— Summer Cottages on Shore of Minnesota Lake 202 

Fig.. 93 — Campers' Tents on Shore of Minnesota, Lake 203 

Fig. 94 — Grove of Young Cottonwood Trees 204 

Fig. 95 — Carolina Poplar Cuttings 205 

Fig. 96 — Grove of Hardy Catalpa 206 

Fig. 97 — 15-Year Old Grove of White Pine 206 

Fig. 98 — Central Iowa Grove of White Pine 207 

Fig. 99 — Black Hill's Spruce and Austrian Pine .• 209 

Fig. 100 — Central Iowa Grove of Spruce, Hard Maple and Birch 210 

Fig. 101 — River Bottomland Grove of Carolina Poplar 211 

Fig. 102 — Forestry Seedbed at Iowa State College. Nursery.- 212 

Fig. 103 — Transplanting Young Trees in Field 213 

Fig. 104 — Cottonwood, Birch and Elm Trees in Mississippi River Bottom 

Land 214 

Fig. 105 — Bare Stretch of Shore at Little Wall Lake 215 

Fig. 106 — Timbered Shore at North Twin Lake 216 

Fig. 107 — Timbered Shore at North Twin Lake 217 

Fig. 108 — Timber Growth at Blue Lake, Monona County 227 

Fig. 109 — Timber Growth at Blue Lake, Monona County 228 






INDEX OF MAPS 



The maps which accompany this Report arc to be found in a separate envelope 
container. Numbers on the maps will be found to correspond to the lake 
number used in the text of this Report. 

Allamakee County: Plate No. 

Big Lake (No. 1 ) 1 

Big Lake (No. 2) : 2 

Ka in's Lake 3 

Mud 1 ten Lake 4 

Buena Vista County : 

Storm Lake 5 

Pickerel Lake 6 

Calhoun County: 

Tow Head Lake 7 

North Twin Lake 8 

South Twin Lake 9 

Cerro Gordo County : 

Clear Lake 10 

Clay County : 

Trumbull Lake 11 

Round Lake 12 

Dan Green's Slough 13 

Elk Lake 14 

Pickerel Lake. (See Plate No. 6.) 
Lost Island Lake. (See Plate No. 59.) 

Delaware County : 

Silver Lake 15 

Dickinson County : 

Spirit Lake 16 

East Okoboji Lake 17 

West Okoboji Lake ....." 18 

Center Lake 19 

Silver Lake 20 

Diamond Lake 21 

Welch Lake 22 

Marble Lake 23 

Hottes Lake 24 

Little Spirit Lake 25 

Swan Lake 26 

Prairie Lake 27 

Pleasant Lake 28 

Jefferson's Slough 29 

Four Mile Lake. (See Plate No. 30.) 

Emmet County : 

Four Mile Lake 30 

Grass Lake 31 

Birge Lake 32 

Tuttle Lake 33 

Iowa Lake 3 4 

West Swan Lake 35 



240 INDEX 

Emmet County-Continued: Plate No. 

Mud Lake 36 

High Lake 37 

Greene County : 

Goose Lake 39 

Hamilton County : 

Little Wall Lake . -. 40 

Hancock County : 

Eagle Lake • ■ 41 

Wood Lake 42 

Crystal Lake 43 

East Twin Lake 44 

West Twin Lake 45 

Harrison County : 

Noble's Lake 46 

Round Lake 47 

Johnson County : 

Swan Lake 48 

Babcoek Lake 49 

Kossuth County : 

Goose Lake .' 50 

Swag Lake 51 

Lee County : 

Green Bay Lake 52 

Monona County : 

Blue Lake 53 

Osceola County : 

Rush Lake 54 

Iowa Lake 55 

Palo Alto County : 

Medium Lake 56 

Silver Lake i 57 

Rush Lake 58 

Lost Island Lake 59 

Virgin Lake .' 60 

Pocahontas County : 

Clear Lake 61 

Lizard Lake 62 

Pottawattamie County : 

Noble's Lake. (See Plate No. 46.) 

Sac County : 

Wall Lake 63 

Winnebago County : 

Duck Lake 64 

Woodbury County : 

Brown's Lake 65 

Wright County: 

Cornelia Lake 67 

Elm Lake 68 

Wall Lake 69 

Twin Sisters Lake 70 

Improvement Plans : 

Proposed Scheme of Forestation for North Twin Lake, Calhoun County. . 71 

Proposed Scheme of Forestation for Blue Lake, Monona County 72 



SCHEDULES 

Page 

No. 1 — Lakes Unaffected by Law of 1915 20 

X" - Lakes Reported Upon Under Present I. aw 22 

No. 3 — Wall Lake. Wright County, Damaged Ea is on Parma in Half 

Mile of Lake i:!7 

No. 4 — Wall Lake, Damaged Ears on Farms from \i to 2 miles from 

Lake 138 

No. 5 — Wall Lake, Percentage of Damaged Ears on Farms % Mile 

from Grove 138 

No. 6 — Wall Lake, Damaged Ears on Farms Over *4 Mile from 

Grove 140 

No. 7 — Wall Lake, 1916, Damaged Ears in Fields Within y„ Mile of 

Lake 140 

No. S — Wall Lake, 1916, Damaged Ears on Farms % to 2 Miles from 

Lake 142 

No. 9 — Wall Lake, 1916, Damaged Ears on Farms Over 2 Miles from 

Lake 143 

No. 10 — Trumbull, Round and Mud Lakes, 1915, Damaged Ears on 

Farms Within y 2 Miles of Lake 145 

No. 11 — (Same as No. 10) Damaged Ears on Farms from % to 2 

Miles from Lake 145 

No. 12 — (Same as No. 10) Damaged Ears on Farms 2 Miles from Lake.. 147 
No. 13 — Goose Lake, Greene County, 1915, Damaged Ears on Farms Vz 

Mile from Lake 147 

No. 14 — Goose Lake, Greene County, 1914, Damaged Ears on Farms 

Between Vk and 2 miles From Lake 149 

No. 15 — Goose Lake, Greene County, 1916, Damaged Ears on Farms 

within % mile of Lake 14 9 

No. 16 — Goose Lake, Greene County, 1916, 'Damaged Ears on Farms 

from y 2 to 2 Miles From Lake 150 

No. 17 — Goose Lake, Greene County, 1916, Damaged Ears on Farms 

Over 2 miles from Lake 151 

No. 18 — Analyses of Blackbird Stomachs 15 6 

No. 19 — Average for the Tear of Contents of Blackbird Stomachs 158 

No. 20 — Average for the Year of Contents of Yellow-headed Black- 
bird Stomachs 159 

No. 20% — Showing Frequency of Plants in Lakes 166 

No. 21 — Percentage of Trees Found on Shores of Silver Lake 177 

No. 22 — Percentage of Trees on Shores of Iowa Lake 178 

No. 23 — Percentage of Trees on South Shore of Tuttle Lake 182 

No. 24 — Percentage of Trees Near Swan Lake, Emmet County 183 

No. 25 — Expenditures from Appropriation for State Highway Commission 232 

No. 26 — Expenditures From Fish and Game Protection Fund 233 

No. 27 — Expenditures From General State Fund 233 

No. 28 — Expenditures For Work Done By Employees of State High- 
way Commission 233 

No. 29 — Expenditures for Work Done By Engineering Department at 

Iowa State College 233 

No. 30 — Expenditures for Work Done By Fish and Game Department.. 233 
No. 31 — Expenditures for Farm Crops, Botanical and Forestry In- 
vestigation 233 

No. 32 — Expenditures For Administration and Supervision of Work 

Done by all Departments 234 

No. 33 — General Summary of All Expenditures to Jan. 1, 1917 234 

No. 34 — Showing Total Cost of Survey and Report on Each Lake.... 234 

Surveys by State Highway Commission 234 

Surveys by Engineering Department, Iowa State College.... 235 

Surveys by Fish and Game Department 235 

No. 35 — Cost of Work Done by Various Departments 235 

lfi 



INDEX 



PART ONE. 

Page 

Letter of Transmittal 4 

Chapter I — Commissioner's Summary 7 

Requirements of Lake Bed Survey Law .' . 7 

Lakes to be Preserved and Improved 7 

Lakes to be Drained, the State Retaining Title to Lake 7 

Lakes to be Drained, and Land Sold 7 

Topographical Survey of Approximately 90,000 Acres . .. 7 

Gathering of Soil Samples, and Taking Soundings 7 

Inspection and Classification of Seventy Lakes 7 

Conference with Property Owners, Citizens and Officials 7 

Preparation of Topographical Maps 7 

Estimates of Cost for Proposed Improvement 7 

Studies of Special Problems: 

Dredging 7 

Reforestation 7 

Farm Crops in Vicinity of Lake . 7 

Work Carried on, Regardless of Weather Condition 7 

All Field Work of Permanent Utility 7 

Permanent Bench Marks and Monuments 7 

Each Map Complete in Detail 7 

Immediate Action if Lakes are to be Conserved 7 

Voluntary Efforts Save Eagle Lake 8 

Iowa Lakes Rapidly Losing Natural Charm 8 

Co-operation of State Departments: 

State Fish and Game Department 8 

Iowa State College 8 

Agricultural Experiment Station 9 

Department of Zoology 9 

Department of Botany . 9 

Department of Forestry 9 

Work of Iowa State University 9 

Work of Highway Commission 9 

Present Status of Lakes 10 

Original Plats of U. S. Survey, show 109 Meandered Lakes 10 

Lakes Reclassified as Swamp Land 10 

Lakes Sold By the Counties 10 

Sale of Abandoned River Channels 10 

Executive Council Authorized to Survey Lakes 10 

Number of Lakes Reduced to Seventy . . . '. 10 

General Findings of the Commission: 

Relation of Lakes to Sanitation 10 

Reclamation of Adjoining Lands 10 

Crops in Vicinity of Lakes 10 

Lakes as Places of Recreation 10 

Lake Beds as Farm Land 10 

Responsibility for Preservation and Improvement of Lakes 10 

State Should Retain and Improve Lakes 10 

Should Adopt Intelligent Policy of Betterment 10 

Disposition of Drained Lake Bed 11 



INDEX 243 

(leneral Findings ol the Commission— Continued: Page 

Improvements Recommended 11 

Construction of Concrete Mams 1! 

Establishment of Public Parks 11 

Opening ol Roads to Lake 12 

Tree Planting Upon Lake Shores 12 

Preserving and Increasing- Water Supply 1 2 

Co-operation with Cities and Communities 12 

Cost of Improvement: 

State Has Not Profited by Drainage 12 

Proceeds of Sales Should be Devoted to Improvement 12 

Lakes Recommended for Drainage: 

Birge Lake, Emmet County 12 

Grass Lake, Emmet County 12 

Swan Lake, Johnston County 12 

Tow Head Lake, Calhoun County 12 

Goose Lake, Greene County 12 

Cost of Dams and Regulating Works 13 

Building of Outlet Dams 13 

Purchasing of Parks and Building of Roadways 13 

Bank Protection 13 

Dredging 13 

Improvement Should Be Carried nut As Soon As Possible 14 

Development of Parks an Established Policy 14 

Lakes as Sites for Community Centers 14 

Combination Hunting and Fishing License 14 

Motor Cars Make Lakes Available to All 14 

State Parks in Minnesota and Wisconsin 14 

Lake Improvement Program will Bring Iowans Big Returns 14 

Administration: 

Lake Management, a Business Proposition 14 

Lake Property Large and Scattered 14 

Public and Private Interests Involved 14 

Communities Will Help in Development 14 

No New Administrative Unit is Needed 15 

Administration by State Executive Council 15 

Other State Departments Could Give Needed Help 15 

Protection and Propagation of Fish and Game 15 

Technical Questions Relating to Tree Planting 15 

Plans For Road Building 15 

Problems Relating to Lake Vegetation 15 

Handling of Legal Questions 15 

Co-operation Between State and Local Communities 15 

Financial Management: 

Certain Drained Lake Beds Still Unsold 15 

Tiling Reclamation and Renting of Drained Lake Beds 15 

Plans for Lake Improvement 15 

Claims for Damages 15 

Legislation Required: 

General Policy of Lake Preservation and Improvement 16 

Provision for Administration of the Lakes 16 

Provision for Co-operation with the State 16 

Provision for Condemning Land for Parks and Roads 16 

Provision for Controlling and Policing Roads 16 

Provision for Private Improvements on Lake Shores 16 

Provision for Licensing Concessions 16 

Provision for Entering Private Land to Protect Lakes 16 



244 INDEX 

Legislation Required— Continued: Page 

Provision for Raising Lake Levels 16 

Provision for Changing Names' of Lakes 16 

Provision for Co-operation with Other States 16 

Provision for Condemning Land for Lake Purposes 16 

Provision for Providing. Funds for Lake Improvement 16 

Provision for Disposal of Drained Lake Beds 16 

Provision for Co-operation in Lake Management 16 

Chapter II — The Lakes and Lake Beds of Iowa. 

Origin of Iowa Lakes 17 

Lakes Formed by Glacial Action 17 

The Kansan Sheet 17 

The Iowan Ice Sheet 17 

The Wisconsin Ice Sheet 17 

Abandoned River Channels 18 

Agencies of Lake Destruction 19 

Previous Administration 19 

Lake Beds Patented to Various Counties 19 

The Law of 1904 19 

List of Lakes Disposed of Before 1915 20 

List of Lakes Reported Upon Under Present Law 22 

Legal Status 23 

State Holds Title to all Lakes '. 23 

Meaning of Term, "Meandered Lakes" 23 

Court's Decision on Meander Lines 23 

Scope of the Lake Bed Survey 24 

Available Maps Made Use of 24 

Engineering Students in Survey Party 24 

Three Highway Commission Survey Parties 24 

Fish and Game Department's Survey Party 25 

Fifty-two Lakes Surveyed 25 

Running Levels From Lake to Lake 25 

Datum Plane 100 Feet Below Water Surface of Lake 25 

Uniform Scale for Maps 25 

Transit and Stadia, or Plane Table Methods 25 

Lakes Sounded for Depth of Water 25 

Borings to Determine Character of Bottom 25 

Watershed Lines Mapped 25 

Examination by Engineer in Charge " 25 

Drainage of Surrounding Lands 26 

Land Adjoining Lakes, Often Bought as Speculation 26 

Sanitation 26 

Lakes, Not Detrimental to Pubilc Health 26 

First Settlements Made on Lake Shores 27 

Chief Danger Is Malaria Fever 27 

Germs Carried by Mosquitoes 27 

Mosquitoes Seldom Travel Over 1,000 Feet 27 

Natural Water Supply: 

Drainage Areas Tributary to Lakes, All Small 27 

Lake Levels Dependent Upon Rainfall 27 

Controlling Lake Levels by Outlet Dam 27 

Building Up Land for Park Purposes 27 

Killing Off Vegetation Conserves Water Supply 27 

Water From Underground Sources 27 

Diverting Drainage From Outlying Lands Toward Lakes 28 

Artificial Water Supplies: 

Artificial Water Probably Under Entire Lake Region 28 

Pumping May Prove Attractive Means of a Supply 29 



[NDEX 245 

A rtilicial Water Supplies-Continued Page 

Power Required to Raise Water for LOO Acres 29 

Cost of Raising Water for LOO Acres 29 

Cornelia Lake in Wiright Countj as an Example 30 # 

Damming Rivers and Streams to Form Artificial Lakes 30 

Silt Deposits: 

Rate of Accumulation . . 30 

Hill View Drainage Districl in Ellinois 30 

Indian Crave Drinage District of Illinois 30 

Lower Otay Reservoir in California 30 

Breakyig Up of the Prairie Sod Increases the Deposits 30 

I iredging: 

Deposits May Be Moved With Suction Dredges 31 

Spoil Valuable for Building Up Low Land 31 

Safe Winter Quarters for Fish 31 

Cost of Suction Dredge 31 

Bank Protection 31 

I (ffice Work on Lake Bed Report 32 

Inspection by Highway Commissioners 32 

Cost Estimates For Reclamation and Improvements 32 

Estimating Dredging Cost 33 

Conclusions: 

Lakes Rapidly Deteriorating 33 

Demand For Outing Places Increasing 33 

Marshes and Open Water Lakes Both Required 33 

Drained Lake Lands Not Producing Good Crops 34 

No Real Demand For Drainage Except For a Few Lakes 31 

Preserving - and Improving Lakes, Legitimate Function of State.. 34 

Minnesota Has 43,500 Acres in State Park 35 

Chapter III — Report on Individual Lakes. 

Allamakee County: 

Big Lake, Big Lake No. 2, Kain's Lake, Mud' Hen Lake 35 

Buena Vista County: . 

Storm Lake 36 

Pickerel Lake 39 

Calhoun County: 

Tow Head Lake 40 

North and South Twin Lakes 42 

Cerro Gordo County: 

Clear Lake 44 

Clay County: 

Pickerel Lake 39 

Trumbull and Round Lakes 47 

Dan Green's Slough 49 

Elk Lake 50 

Delaware County: 

Silver Lake 51 

Dickinson County: 

Spirit Lake 52 

East Okoboji Lake 53 

West Okoboji Lake 56 

Center Lake 56 

Silver Lake 57 

Diamond Lake 59 



246 INDEX 

Dickinson County-Continued Page 

Welch Lake 60 

Hottes and Marble Lakes 61 

Little Spirit Lake 62 

Swan Lake 63 

Prairie Lake 64 

Pleasant Lake 65 

Jefferson's Slough 65 

Four Mile Lake 66 

Emmet County: 

Four Mile Lake <! 66 

Grass Lake 67 

Purge Lake 68 

Tuttle Lake 69 

Iowa Lake 75 

West Swan Lake " 76 

Mud Lake 79 

High Lake 80 

Twelve Mile Lake 81 

Greene County: 

Goose Lake 81 

Hamilton County: 

Little Wall Lake 84 

Hancock County: 

Eagle Lake 87 

Wood Lake 89 

Crystal Lake 90 

East Twin Lake 91 

West Twin Lake 92 

Harrison County: 

Noble's Lake ". 93 

Round Lal?;e 94 

Johnson County: 

Swan Lake 95 

Babcock Lake 96 

Kossuth County: 

Goose Lake . • 97 

Swag Lake 99 

Lee County: 

Green Bay Lake . 100 

Monona County: 

Blue Lake 102 

Osceola County: 

Rush Lake 104 

Iowa Lake 106 

Palo Alto County: 

Medium Lake 107 

Silver Lake 108 

Rush Lake .' 109 

Lost Island Lake Ill 

Virgin Lake 114 

Pocahontas County: 

Clear Lake i 115 

Lizard Lake 116 



INDEX 247 

Sac Count3 : Page 

Wall Lake 117 

Winnebago County: 

Duck Lake 120 

Woodbury County: 

Brown's Lake 121 

Worth County: 

Silver Lake 123 

Wright County: 

Cornelia Lake 124 

Elm Lake 125 

Wall Lake 126 

Twin Sisters' Lake 129 

PART TWO. 

Chapter I— Report of Farm Crops Survey 133 

Damage by Blackbirds 133 

Estimates of Damage Vary Greatly 133 

Time of Examinations 133 

Areas Examined 133 

Method of Maxing Examination 133 

Interviews With Farmers 133 

Actual Counts of Damage in Fields 133 

Damage to Young Corn Plants 134 

Damage During Roasting Ear Stage 134 

Method of Making Counts 134 

Conclusions: 

Damage to Corn at Time of Sprouting 135 

Damage to Small Grain Crops in Shock 135 

Damage Does Not Average Over $1.00 per Acre * 135 

Damage to Corn in Milk Stage Varies With Distance From Lake 135 

Per Cent of Damaged Ears of Corn 135 

Average Loss on Corn Per Acre 137 

Damage Due to Wet Years 137 

Maximum Damage Per Farm Per Year 13 7 

Chapter II — Examination of Crops in Vicinity of Wall Lake. 

Examinations During 1915: 

Farms Visited in Half Mile of Lake 137 

Farms Visited One-Half to Two Miles. From Lake 138 

Farms Visited Within One-Quarter Mile of Grove 13S 

Map Showing Location of Farms Visited in 1915 139 

Farms Visited Over One-Quarter Mile From Grove 140 

Examinations During 1916: 

Farms Visited W r ithin One-Half Mile of Lake 140 

Map Showing Fields Visited During 1916... 141 

Farms Visited From One-Half to Two Miles of Lake 142 

Farms Visited Over Two Miles From Lake 143 

Influence of Groves on Damage to Crops 143 

Examination of Fields in Vicinity of Trumbull Lake in 1915: 

Map Shows Fields Examined in 1915 144 

Farms Visited Within One-Half Mile of Lake 145 

Farms Visited Between One-Half and Two Miles of Lake 145 

Farms Visited Two Miles or Over From Lake 147 



248 INDEX 

Examination of Fields in Vicinity of Goose Lake in 1915: Page 

Map Showing- Fields Examined in 1915 146 

Farms Visited Within One-Half Mile of Lake 147 

Map Showing Fields Visited During 1916 148 

Farms Visited Between One-Half and Two Miles From Lake in 1915 149 

Farms Visited Within One-Half Mile of Lake in 1916 149 

Farms Visited From One-Half to Two Miles of Lake 150 

Farms Visited Over Two Miles From Lake 151 

Facts Brought Out By Examination 151 

Examination of Fields in Vicinity of Muscatine Slough: 

Time of Examinations 152 

Map Showing Fields Examined in 1915 153 

Chapter III — Food and Nesting Habits of Blackbirds. 

Determining Feeding Habits of Blackbirds 154 

Attractiveness of Nesting Places 154 

Stomachs of Birds Secured From Analysis 154 

Where Examinations Were MaCe 154 

Species of Blackbirds 154 

Red-Winged Blackbird 154 

Yellow Headed Blackbird 154 

Crow Blackbird 154 

Blackbirds' Stomachs Supplied by State Game Warden 155 

Food Habits of Blackbird 155 

Analysis of Blackbird Stomachs 156 

Biological Survey of U. S. Department of Agriculture 157 

Percentage of Grain and Weed Seeds in Blackbird Stomachs 157 

Averag-e Contents of Stomachs for the Year 158 

Red-Winged Blackbird a Benefit in Crop. Production 158 

Summary of Contents of Blackbird Stomachs 159 

PART THREE. 
Chapter I — Vegetation of Iowa Lakes. 

Scope of Investigation 163 

Acknowledgments and References 163 

Families of Aquatic Plants 164 

Depth of Water in Which Plants Are Found 164 

Increasing Depth of Water Eliminates Vegetable Growth 165 

Crops on Old Lake Beds 165 

Schedule 20% — Showing Frequency of Plants in Lakes 166 

Conclusions From Chart. . 171 

Protection of Storm Lake, Buena Vista County 171 

Damming Pickerel Lake, Palo Alto County 171 

Drainage of Rush Lake, Palo Alto County 173 

Lakes of Wright County: 

Cornelia Lake 173 

Twin Sisters Lake 173 

Mud Lake 173 

Elm Lake . : 174 

Lakes of Hancock County: 

Eagle Lake 174 

Crystal Lake 176 

Lakes of Emmet County: 

Iowa Lake 177 

Tuttle Lake 178 

Swan Lake 182 



[NDEX 249 

Worth County: . Page 

Silver Lake 183 

< "h;i jitcr I I i 'onelu.sions. 

Objectionable Features Obviated by heepening Water 184 

Trees on Shore Line Important From standpoint of Recreation Grounds 184 

Nut Trees Around Swan hake 189 

No Difficulty in Planting Wild Rice 189 

1 trained Lake Reds of Small Value as Crop Producers 189 

Lakes as Reservoirs for Holding- Back Flood Waters 189 

PART FOUR. 

Chapter I — Possibilities of Forestation Work About the Iowa Lakes. 

Lakes With Forested Shores, a Big- Asset 193 

Minnesota Richly Endowed With Timbered Lakes 193 

Minnesota Utilizes Lakes as State Parks 193 

Iowa Has Few Timbered Lakes 193 

Shore Lines May Be Reforested 195 

Purposes of Forestation Work About Lakes 197 

Makes Recreation Places Available for the People 197 

Work Can Be Accomplished Quickly 197 

Use of Quick Growing Trees 197 

Forested Lakes Would Serve as County or Municipal Farks 197 

Forested Lakes as Game and Bird Preserves 197 

Would Produce Revenue From Sale of Timber 197 

Protection for Banks from Erosion, and Filling in of the Lakes.. 198 
Where the Reforestation Work Should Start: 

Planting Should Begin in Many Different Localities 198 

Should Start Where Work Is Least Expensive 19S 

Trees Within Meander Lines 198 

Forestation on Drained Lake Bed 198 

Forestation on Sandy Waste Areas 199 

Forestation on Over-Flowed Areas or Swampy Lands 199 

Forestation Where Communities Co-operate 199 

Forestation on Good Agricultural Land 199 

Forestation on Land Owned by Cities 199 

Forestation on Private Lands Adjoining Lake 199 

Control of State Owned Lake Shores 199 

Chapter II — Trees Suitable for Reforestation Work in Iowa. 

Hardwood or Deciduous Trees 203 

Conifers or Evergreen Trees 208 

Chapter III — State Forest Nurseries. 

Idaho Maintains Forest Tree Nursery 211 

Kansas Has Two State Nurseries 211 

Kentucky, Maine and Maryland Nurseries 211 

Michigan Plants 200 Acres of Land Annually 212 

Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New York, 

Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Wisconsin State Nurseries 212 

Advantages of State Nursery 213 

Capacity of Land Required, etc 213 

Furnishing Trees for Forestation Work 213 

Surplus Tree Stock 213 

Funds for Nursery and Planting Work 214 

Nursery at Iowa State Agricultural Experiment Station 214 

Advantages of Such a Location 215 



250 INDEX 

Chapter IV — Plan for the Forestation of Lands Adjoining 
North Twin Lake. 

Pag e 

Forestation Plan for North Twin Lake 215 

Trees Recommended For Planting 217 

Proposed Plan and Estimate of Cost of Planting 217 

Summary and Recommendations 225 

Chapter V — Plan for Reforestation of the Lands Adjoining 
Blue Lake in Monona County. 

Character of the Improvement Required 226 

Area and Description 227 

Where the First Forestation Work Should Start 227' 

Type of Reforestation Work 228 

Drives 22S 

Shifting- Sands ' 228 

Kinds of Trees For Planting 228 

Plan and Estimate of Cost for Blue Lake. Monona County 229 

Chapter VI — Summary and Recommendations. 
Points to be Given Consideration: 

Many Iowa Lake Shores Devoid of Tree Growth 231 

Access to Lake Shores, Difficult or Impossible 231 

Cultivation Causes Filling in of Lakes 231 

Forestation Will Protect Banks of Lakes •.- 231 

Low Areas Unsuited for Agricultural Purposes 231 

Sandy or Barren Areas of Value in Growing Trees 231 

Recommendations: 

Establishment of State Forest Nursery 231 

Furnishing Tree Plants, Free of Cost 231 

Purchase of Lake Shore Lands Suitable for Forestation 231 

Provision for Experimental Forestation Work 231 

Chapter VII — Financial Report. 

Law Authorizing State Lake Bed Survey 232 

Schedules, Nos. 25 to 35, inclusive 232 to 235 



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